Tomorrow
by From.Another.Universe
Summary: Kim's young life has been filled with death and violence that she had been desensitised to, but the pain was forever numbing. Her journey was tough from the start, but when she met Sam and Dean, everything turned for the worst as she watched her world crumble around her one death at a time; although she had the ability, she was powerless to stop it.
1. Prologue 1

It was the middle of the night. The large house was silent and the night was peaceful. The wind was still and the air was cool; the night seemed to be perfect for sleep. The soft blankets were soothing as the three-year-old stirred in her little bed, restless. No matter how sweet the air was or how smooth the sheets were, Sarah shuffled with an awful feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Sitting up in her bed, a bead of cold sweat ran down her face. Sarah's chubby feet tickled the floor as she scrambled out of her bed and rapidly pushed her door open, stumbling out into the hallway. She rushed towards the stairway, looking down to see her father reaching down to pick up his duffel bag from the floor. She watched her dad pick up his bag as he swung it over his shoulder.

"Dad! Don't go!" Sarah cried from the top of the staircase. David's head shot up, looking at the young girl he was proud to call his own. He smiled at her, happy to see his daughter as she waddled down the stairs. Her chubby legs were barely able to carry her weight. When she reached the bottom, David picked her up and held her on his hip, smiling down at her as her fists clenched his shirt.

"What are you doing up?" David asked, not expecting an answer. "You should be asleep." He put down his bag and quietly carried his child back to her room, careful not to wake his wife. "I'll be back in the morning. Be good for Mommy, okay?" David said as he tucked Sarah back into her bed.

"Okay, Daddy," she said with a smile. "Are you off to fight monsters again?" she asked innocently, imagining the monsters under the bed and inside her closet. David nodded and kissed her forehead.

"Something like that." David got up as Sarah closed her eyes. "I'll see you soon," he whispered, quietly closing her bedroom door before heading back downstairs. Before he reached the door, he lifted the 'Welcome' mat to make sure the demon trap he had drawn was still intact. With a bitter smile, he thought about his daughter and what he would be leaving behind. He grabbed his bag and threw it into his Jeep before silently driving away, planning to be back by late morning.

•※•

David hopped out of his car at dawn. The sun was a dark shade of pink as it rose from the horizon in the early hours of the morning. He walked on the gravel road, admiring the yellow flowers that lined the edge of the path, leading towards the centre of the crossroads. Sighing heavily, David dug a small hole and placed a tin filled with the specific items needed to summon a demon in it before pushing dirt over it with his foot. He licked his lips, stepping a few steps back from the freshly covered hole, searching for a figure in the distance.

"A hunter?" a seductive voice said from behind him. David spun around to see a young girl in a red dress smirking at him. "Now why would I help a hunter?" The demon blinked and her eyes turned black. David didn't flinch like she expected, he stood his ground.

"'Cause a soul's a soul," David stated calmly. The demon smirked.

"That it is. What do you need?" The demon smiled, flashing her pearly white teeth. David stepped closer to her, his hands cupped together behind his back.

"Protection," David ordered. The demon laughed mockingly.

"I don't see why you'd need that. Didn't you listen to your doctor-"

"Protection for my family. Protection from you," David barked, rolling his eyes at her misunderstood idea of protection. The demon smirked to herself looking over him.

"I don't think so," she sassed. David shrugged and smiled.

"A soul's a soul. I mean, how often do you get a hunter down there?" There was a silence as David stared at the demon, turning and threatening to leave. She stood there, looking at him with an evil glare in her eyes.

"I can give you a knife–"

"I have knives."

"If you let me finish! I can give you a Demon Knife. The Knife of Kurds. One of the only knives able to kill a demon." With a snap of her fingers, it appeared in her delicately deceiving hand. David's eyes snapped to the knife with interest and tried to get a better look at the symbols engraved into the metal, wondering if it was worth his soul. It looked like no other knife he had ever seen but David had always been better with a gun-his wife was more of a knife person.

"No. That's not enough." The demon snarled at him and looked deeply into his brown eyes, searching for something. A weakness, a spark of happiness, a glimpse of hope that she could encourage in order for him to take the offer.

"You have a little girl. What a precious, innocent little thing, tucked in her bed. She has no idea, does she? What you do, that you're here?" David stayed silent and the demon smirked. "And I bet you don't plan on telling her, at least that what your wife wants, right? But you know there no stopping it, it's a curse. She was doomed the second you first laid eyes on her." The demon smirked, seeing the anger in his eyes. "How about I give you a spell. A promise, if you will, that your child-'til the day she dies-will be protected from demons." The demon smirked again, knowing she was offering a deal he couldn't refuse. "That includes hellhounds."

"That and the knife and we have a deal," David demanded.

"Now, now, don't be too hasty." David stood still, crossing his arms making up his mind. "You hunters are so hard headed. Fine, the knife and the spell." With that, the demon marched towards David and grabbed the back of his neck, pulling him in for a kiss, placing the knife in his hands before he could change his mind. Boss would be happy with a hunter.

Quickly, David pushed away and with a fast motion, and with a merciless and violent swing, he stabbed the demon in her chest before she could disappear. He watched as her eyes glowed orange and she fell to the ground, limp, her body falling from the knife's grip. Surprised, he looked at the bloodied knife and smiled.

"Humph. I didn't think you'd be that stupid." With that, he strolled back to his car and drove back to his white picket fenced home where his family waited for him with his loving wife and innocent daughter, with whom he wished to live a demon-free life.


	2. Prologue 2

The morning air was chilly against the parts of Kimberly's skin that weren't wrapped beneath the scratchy motel bed sheets. The faint sound of cluttering and soft sizzling could be heard in the kitchen as her eyes fluttered open. Kimberly groaned as she messily threw the sheets off herself and sat up, rolling out of bed. She placed her feet firmly on the floor before looking around, her eyes still adjusting to the light.

The scent of sweet nectar filled her nose. A small smile grew on her lips. The smell was familiar and drawing and within an instant, her mouth had watered deliciously. She knew exactly what was cooking and it was the motivation she needed to drag herself out of bed.

Letting her arms go limp, she walked out of the mouldy motel bedroom and into the small kitchen. Kimberly's eyes adjusted to the orange morning light that shone through the dusty window. Smiling, she saw her eighteen-year-old sister Sarah standing over the stove, flipping a circular pancake. The light gleamed around Sarah, casting a shadow as she flipped the pancake and her normally harsh and demanding aura was replaced with a nurturing, sisterly one.

Kimberly's stomach growled as she dragged a chair and sat down. Sarah quickly turned her head to see her younger sister sitting at the table, preparing herself for the pancakes.

"Hello to you too," Sarah smirked, turning back to the pancakes. "Why're you up so early?"

"The sheets were scratchy," Kimberly complained. Sarah placed a small bowl of golden, sticky, thick syrup on the table.

"Get used to it," Sarah said firmly, her nurturing demeanour decreasing as she stepped out of the light. Kimberly nodded her head and rubbed her eye sleepily.

"Yeah, I know," Kimberly replied. She watched as Sarah turned around with a large tower of pancakes on her hand. Placing it down on the table she sat down opposite Kimberly. Kimberly raced and got two plates and cutlery. Rapidly, she threw herself on the chair and grabbed a stack of five thick, golden pancakes on her plate, coating them with a delicious syrup. She didn't care about the strange look her sister was giving her as she stabbed five pancakes and dropped them into her plate. She looked at them greedily. She had been waiting for these pancakes for a long time.

Kimberly watched in delight as the syrup dropped from the spoon onto her steaming stack, admiring the gloss as it trickled down the layers. She eagerly cut into the stack and shoved as much as she could fit into her mouth. She muffled out a moan as she tasted the sweet syrup combined with the fluffy pancake. After swallowing, she immediately missed the taste that lingered on her tongue, causing her mouth to water.

"This is gonna be a big hunt. Are you sure you're up for it?" Sarah asked, raising a cheeky eyebrow at Kimberly. She knew Kimberly would never back down from a hunt, the question was merely motivation.

"Of course! You can't do it by yourself," Kimberly smirked and Sarah smiled in response.

"Yeah, I know."

Kimberly took another eager bite, causing a laugh from Sarah. She looked up, her cheeks like chipmunks filled with pancakes and stared at her sister.

"What?" Kimberly asked, small pieces of pancake flying out of her mouth as she spoke. Sarah coiled away in disgust and chuckled.

"Don't eat too fast, we've gotta go after this," Sarah warned lightly. Kimberly shook off her sisters warning as she took another delicious bite. Kimberly looked down onto the pancakes and smiled, unable to summon the willpower to stop herself from eating them. "Seriously Kimberly, slow down," Sarah added sternly, her light-hearted warning exchanged to her military-like demands.

Kimberly scoffed down the rest of her pancakes in a hurry, satisfyingly her craving. She kept eating until she was unable to eat anymore. Even though her stomach was full, Kimberly still wanted more of her sister's pancakes, not knowing when she would next have a chance to eat them. Sarah's pancakes were warm, sticky and sweet with the texture of clouds that were lighter than air. They were perfectly circular and wonderfully fluffy but most importantly, they radiated with golden warmth, the feeling of home. Home, when Kimberly was lost in a sea of Motels. She truly believed that they were the closest to heaven that she'd ever get.

She finished off her plate, licking the syrup clean off the surface. Kimberly waddled to the motel couch, plonking herself on the scratchy cotton. After a few minutes of Sarah cleaning up, Kimberly suddenly regretted her decision of finishing off her plate and began to feel her stomach quiver sickeningly. The taste of the sweet syrup still stuck in her mouth as she licked her lips despite her sick feeling. The pain rippled in her stomach as she felt the heartburn rise in her chest. She closed her eyes and groaned, hoping to sleep off the pain, when she sister marched into the room.

"Kimberly! I told you not to eat that much!" Sarah growled towards her sister as she watched her roll about of the couch when she should be getting ready for a hunt. She groaned in response, turning to face her sister. "You're an idiot, you know that?" Sarah quickly grabbed her hunting equipment and swung her duffel bag over her shoulder. A pang of guilt rose in Kimberly's heart.

"I'm sorry, I can still go with you—"

"We have a responsibility and you go ahead and get yourself sick after I warned you that we have a hunt! That we have people we need to save!" Sarah roared, her expression radiating with anger.

"It's not that bad. I can still come."

"Kimberly—" Sarah growled, warning her not to argue.

"Stop being so stubborn!" Kimberly shouted.

"No more!" Sarah finished, turning to leave. "You want to continue to be a stupid thirteen-year-old, fine. But, stupid thirteen-year-olds aren't responsible enough to be out hunting. If your gonna act like a child, I'll treat you like a child!" Sarah spat.

"What?" Kimberly asked, shocked, sitting up from her position. Sarah didn't want to take away the only thing that reminded Kimberly of home but it was the only way she would learn. Sarah had to continue to train Kimberly to be a stern, expert hunter in order to survive. She had to learn the whole world was against her, even her sister.

"You heard me! And no more pancakes until I say otherwise." Sarah went back to the kitchen and Kimberly watched as she dumped the remaining pancakes in the trash. Kimberly watched furiously as Sarah looked at her destruction with satisfaction.

"You can't do this alone!" Kimberly yelled angrily, getting off the couch, sucking up the pain. She went to go get her bags and go with her sister.

"No! You're not mature enough. I don't need to be worrying about you out there. You're staying here, you got that?" Kimberly didn't reply, the command rolling off of Sarah's lips. Sarah sighed before turning her head to Kimberly. "I asked you to do one thing. You didn't listen." Kimberly tried to defend herself but her sister's anger was too overpowering. Sarah sighed heavily at her younger sister. Kimberly watched Sarah's hazel eyes shift with disappointment before turning to leave. When she made it to the door frame she stopped and shook her head, her back facing Kimberly.

"You never do anything right."


	3. Chapter One

Her name was Kimberly Harper, but everyone knew her as Kim. She believed the name 'Kimberly' was too formal and polite, demeaning her to the stereotype of a precious little girl. Kim held herself tall and structured with her head straight and her shoulder back, a look of informal intensity.

It was rare to see her in brightly coloured or properly fitted clothes, not bothering with the ordeal they created. Instead, she was only found wearing rugged clothes that were comfortable and practical, mostly in various shades of brown, black and camouflage green. She would rarely be spotted without a large jacket and an angel pin fastened on her shirt, hidden from sight.

Her hair was jet black and slightly wavy, almost immune to a full curl, and her eyes were a rich dark brown. Her look was not something associated with a petite, pretty name like 'Kimberly'.

Although most hunters knew her name, not a lot of people truly knew her. She spent most of her time by herself, keeping her life as private as possible. Working solo was simpler without having to worry about someone else getting in trouble or ruing your plans and Kim would never have the faith needed in someone to complete a job, and she always completed a job. She was the type of person to mind her own business and go on with her life, living and working alone. It was the wisest way to live as a hunter, considering her reputation. She never liked to talk about herself, instantly making her feel vulnerable and trapped. She knew it was better if she kept to herself.

Like most hunters, Kim's past was troubling. Ever since she was young, she had noticed she had been different from the people she saw at school. Her lifestyle kept changing — she moved schools, lost friends and lived in motels with her older sister, unaware of when or if her father would return from his latest hunt. Her youngest memories were filled with creatures her peers couldn't even imagine, and before she knew it, she was left alone in the world at the age of thirteen, before her childhood was over. It definitely wasn't a life anyone would wish upon their child.

Everything happened so rapidly in Kim's eyes. The years she took for granted with her family flew by and within a blink of an eye, she was alone, carrying the burden of her family's hunting profession on her shoulders. She did her best to manage her life alone while living in her family's Jeep, not bothering with school and attempting to hunt with her father's gun and tracking with his old hunting books.

She was a determined young child; her persistent attitude was something that kept her alive. She spent all of her free time teaching herself how to hunt. Practising shooting trees or cans she found in allies, gradually getting further away from them the better she became. At first, the guns were almost impossible to use. Most were too big for her to carry or handle, the guns flopping in her untrained arms and jolting her back every time she fired.

Her father had a lot of guns, but she was more of a blades person herself. She preferred the feel of the knife, the freedom it possessed as she would swing it in whichever direction she liked. She sliced trees and barrels of hay, she even made a small dummy for herself out of some material she found in the streets and practised her fighting on them until the knife felt like an extension of her arm. What else was a thirteen-year-old supposed to do with no school, no family, and a reputation to maintain.

Finding and working cases became the next issue, but with no money, she was living out of the family car and scrambling for food, she had no way of finding cases. Mostly, she would get whiffs of things from word of mouth, eavesdropping whenever she suspected a hunter was nearby.

She forced herself to remember all the stories her father told her about his hunts so she could memorise and use his techniques, where she learned how to fix her mistakes. She had to if she wanted to survive. She pushed herself harder — physically and mentally — than any thirteen-year-old should, resulting in exhaustion in all aspects of her life.

Half a year after her sister's death, Kim came to know a man who would change the way she saw the hunting world. He was a well-known hunter whose reputation was legendary and was admired for his expertise and dedication to his work.

When he came across Kim on a case she never should have been on, he felt obliged to teach her some of the basics, just to help her survive. Reasonably, he had tried to convince the young girl that hunting wasn't a safe option for her. She stared at him blankly and wondered if he thought this was new information to her. Of course, she knew it wasn't safe, her entire family was six feet under because of it, but hunting was the only thing that kept Kim remotely tied to her family. The Jeep was just a car and her parent's weapons were just weapons; their legacy was who they were and Kim wasn't going to lose them because it was her 'safest option'.

The man taught her the basics, holding a gun properly and knowing when to fire, but she already knew all his tricks. Once he realised she already mastered them, he hesitantly moved onto more advanced moves. Every missing detail from Kim's knowledge of hunting was taught to her by this man and transformed her into the hunter she had become.

She looked up to him, not only as her hunting mentor but as the only adult influence she had in her life. She had been travelling with him for a month or so when he told her that he had a family of his own and that he had to go back to them. Kim knew of his priority to his family, along with the hunting reputation he had to maintain, so she didn't fret when he left her at his friends' house while he went away.

Kim was dropped off without an introduction to a bar she had never seen or heard of before and was left at the entrance. She thought he would be back to pick her up in a week's time, but a week turned into two, and two turned into four and Kim soon realised her 'visit' was a permanent move.

Occasionally, he picked her up when he found a simple, nearby case. He hadn't ditched her completely, and because of what he meant to her, she forgave him his first return.

To be honest, Kim hadn't minded the change after a few days at the Roadhouse and started to look up and admire the woman that took her in as much as she did the man that left her there and she soon considered her and the others that lived there, family.

A few years on and Kim was eighteen. She had continued living as a hunter, making sure she lived up to her family's reputation while establishing one for herself.

Sitting in the front seat of her car, she drove down the familiar highway, her mind littered with foul thoughts about the news she heard not long ago. She could not get it out of her head. It pounded in her brain, causing her to have frequent, mind-throbbing headaches that would bring tears to her eyes, but she refused to cry. She stopped eating and she barely slept after hearing it, so she decided to drive to the closest thing she had to home.

The ride was probably no less than an hour, but it managed to feel agonisingly slow to Kim. Swinging out of her car, the Jeep's door slammed behind her as she marched her way towards the Roadhouse. With each step, the gravel road flung up behind her, leaving a cloud of dust hovering over the ground. The blank expression she wore on the car ride to the bar hadn't changed as she entered. The hope of a familiar surrounding to comfort her slowly dwindled as hunters invaded the bar. She sat on an empty stool at the bar bench that was littered with guns, ammo, and knives being polished. Ellen approached her from behind the bar, wiping a glass clean.

"Good to see you're still alive," Ellen spoke sarcastically, although with a serious look in her eyes. Ellen was a kind woman with a secure smile and death glare set to kill, along with being one of the few people Kim considered family. She watched as Ellen leaned on the bar, waiting for an explanation that she knew wasn't going to come.

"Yeah, my bad," Kim replied. She looked down and folded her arms, resting them on the bar. Considering the comfort of a familiar setting had failed to make her feel better, she planned on drinking to get her mind off things. Too many thoughts were floating up in her mind and she needed a release.

"Ash and Jo have been asking about you," Ellen mentioned. "They want to know how you're doing, where you are, what you're up to... or if you're dead. I keep telling them what I know, but that doesn't really help because I don't know anything." She was trying to make Kim feel guilty. It was her signature move when she wanted to get information out of Kim, but she rarely ever gave in.

"You're not going to guilt me into talking. I have nothing to talk about," Kim explained, putting on a fake and obviously sarcastic smile. Ellen sighed, stood up straight and decided to move on, knowing she wasn't going to get anything out of that girl. Ellen knew what was affecting Kim; she heard the news earlier. She knew she would never be able to make Kim admit her feelings.

"So, what can I get you?" Ellen asked, not expecting the answer that she got.

"A shot of whiskey," Kim answered honestly. She got a loud laugh from Ellen as a response.

"I'm not giving you a shot. You're too young, it's illegal," Ellen explained.

"Nineteen's not that young—"

"You're eighteen."

"Nineteen in a month!"

"Since when does that make it legal?" Ellen questioned in a motherly tone.

"Since when did you care about the law?" Kim mimicked. Kim's expression softened slightly. "Listen, I just really need something," she whispered, rubbing her temples. "Plus, it's legal in Australia," she added. Kim really needed a drink and she was ready to say anything to convince Ellen to give her one.

"Well, we're not in Australia, now, are we?" Ellen argued. Kim groaned and Ellen noticed the sorrow expression on Kim's face. "Kim, I heard the news and it's not your fault—"

"Don't," Kim growled through gritted teeth.

"You've got to understand—"

"I said don't."

"Listen, Kim—"

Ellen continued to talk in hopes of somehow helping Kim, but it just infuriated her more. Kim had blocked her out instantly. She was in no mood for pity and felt her frustration and guilt continue to build inside her like an intense bomb. Kim watched numbly as Ellen's lips moved, not hearing any sound, her whole body tensing. Everything she had repressed was building up inside her, festering until release. Kim stood up sharply, slamming her fist into the counter, finally silencing Ellen.

"A shot. Beer. Hell, I'll even take wine or a fricking cocktail, I just need something!" Kim yelled, struggling to hold back her emotions after repeatedly asking for Ellen to drop it. After acknowledging her pain, Ellen turned around hesitantly to get Kim her liquor as Kim slumped back down on her chair.

Looking around the bar, Kim had found that some customers were staring at her, intrigued by her sudden outburst. Their eyes watched her as she slumped away from them, awaiting the alcohol. With a heavy feeling of eyes glaring at her, she soon became aware of several people in the Roadhouse and became undeniably uncomfortable, so she looked back down, regretting her prior actions.

She knew that minding her own business was necessary. Not a lot of hunters enjoyed their backstory and would rather a demon possess their body than talk about it. Although she knew almost everyone's name in that bar, it didn't mean they were close, and with that fact, she also understood a lot of people knew her name.

Kimberly Harper. Taught by the greatest, gets the job done, and is definitely not someone to mess with. That's all they knew about her and that's all they'd ever know. She preferred it that way.

Ellen returned with a drink for Kim and she dropped it in front of her, causing some to splash out. Kim looked at the drink dissatisfied.

"Half a shot? Really?" Kim questioned.

"Hon, it's half a shot or nothing."

Kim grunted and drank the shot with a quick swig, her eyes slamming shut. The small amount of hard liquor burned as it travelled down her throat. Kim hoped the small drink would stop the thoughts in her head — all the horrible thoughts that were crammed into her mind, suffocating her, making it feel like the weight of the world was balanced on her shoulders. It didn't. Her mind was still uncontrollably littered with the tragic news she had heard, and although she was dissatisfied with the amount of liquor she got, she still prayed it would be enough to slightly still her thoughts.

Ellen watched as Kim finished her shot, seeing it disappear in a blink of an eye. She sighed knowing that Kim somewhat blamed herself for his death. Kim's mind was filled with guilt, regret, and what could have been if she were there when he died.

Ellen tried to reason with her, but Kim refused to listen. "Kim, you couldn't have done anything. He—"

"I was supposed to be there," she interjected, a faint whimper stuck in her throat. Her tone quickly became angry. "I was going to visit him that day. That day! Do you know how shitty that is? I could have been there, I could have done something—but no! I just had to wait another week! It's not like I hadn't seen him in a whole year or anything," she rambled, disgusted with herself, "A year, Ellen. I hadn't seen him for a whole year and now I'll never see him again. He's dead."

Frustrated and riddled with guilt, Kim stood up to leave without a goodbye, but Ellen grabbed her arm, stopping her from walking.

"Where do you think you're going? You just had a shot—"

"Half a shot."

"And you're not driving," Ellen persisted. "Your room is still the same as it was before. Stay here the night."

"That room gives me nightmares," Kim said seriously, a mocking huff attached to the end. "Too many colours. And I'm not even drunk. It was half a shot."

"You're going to sleep here," Ellen said, refusing her answer.

"No. I'm driving to the nearest motel and sleeping there," Kim said. "I—I just want to be alone." She watched as Ellen walked towards the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water to hand to Kim.

"Fine. But if you're driving, take this. Clear most of the alcohol out of your system." Ellen smiled softly. Looking down at the bottle, Kim took it thankfully.

"Thanks," Kim spoke softly, not for the bottle of water, but for the thought behind it.

"That's what family's for," Ellen said, walking away to continue her job.

Kim felt the cold bottle of water freeze her bare hand as she held it. She looked down at it and smiled slightly and took a sip feeling the cold water to wash away the distinct taste of alcohol. With that, she walked out of the bar with a slight smile on her face which finally destroying the foul expression she wore.

She walked to her car, dragging her feet on the dusty road, feeling accomplished even though she didn't get what she went there for. Kim watched as her feet kicked up dust from the path. The smell of gravel filled her nose as she accidentally kicked a few rocks into her boots. The night was dark and the only light that was guiding her was the light from inside the bar.

With her head still down and her thoughts in a different world, she felt a nudge on her shoulder as she walked. She had bumped shoulders with someone who was quite a bit taller than her. She turned around and saw that it was two males walking towards the bar she had just left. They both turned around and Kim caught a small glimpse of their faces from the weak light from inside the bar. The one that she walked into was tall and muscular with a small amount of stubble and a long jacket. The other he was with was taller with long hair with a sharp jawline. His eyes were kind and forgiving while the others looked less inviting. He looked back at her and then to the bar but didn't stop walking and neither did Kim.

She walked towards her car and from the darkness, admired the classic Impala that was almost completely hidden in the darkness. She got into her car and drove away from the light of the welcoming Roadhouse, into the deep abyss of the empty road that looks as if all happiness had died up ahead. In fact, she wouldn't be surprised if she saw a sign that said exactly that.

She took the lonely drive carelessly, not putting much effort into anything she was doing. Her mind drifted as she controlled the car, finding her way to a motel close by.

Kim pulled into a motel that was only thirty minutes up the road. The small street lights only lit up small spaces around them while the cheap motel lights only lit up the crummy pathway towards the motel. She parked her car in the empty parking lot and walked into the two-story building.

After paying for a room, she walked through the lobby and up a few flights of stairs with her green duffel bag slung over her shoulder. She entered room labelled '185' and dropped her bag before slamming the door shut. The room was grey and dark with the curtains shut and the lights off. Her hand searched the wall for the light switch. The rough texture of the wallpapers made her fingertips uncomfortable and dry. She quickly turned on the lights and was grateful to see a double bed and a small TV around the corner, something she did not expect for the money she paid.

Kim plonked herself on the bed and lazily covered herself in the blankets. Although the bed wasn't the most comfortable things she'd slept on, it beat the car seat she'd been sleeping on for the past month. She sighed, letting herself sink into the warm blankets, hoping to release the stress and worries she'd been thinking about over the past week. After very little sleep and an empty stomach, Kim tried to find the will to rest, assuming the warmth of the blankets would assist her. Unexpectedly, she felt her eyelids getting heavier and welcomed the numbness of sleep, letting the thoughts slip from her mind, even if it was only for an hour or so.

•※•

Kim woke up multiple times during the night, staying awake for hours at a time, praying exhaustion would overcome her and she would pass out, but she spent most of the night awake. She groaned, rubbing her eyes. She dragged herself out of bed unwillingly and sloppily made her way to the bathroom to wash her face, hoping it would help keep her stay awake for the rest of the day. The cold water dripped down her face, making her feel like she had been awake for eight hours already. She blinked her eyes a few times so that they could adjust before boiling water with the crappy, rusted kettle she found in the kitchen and make herself a cup of instant coffee, complimentary from the motel.

Kim didn't sleep well that night, getting a maximum of three hours and to make matters worse, she was not a morning person. After she was awake she was fine, but it was the thirty minutes beforehand that made life seem like a living hell. Although her night was restless, it was one of the more peaceful nights she had experienced that week. Along with the sleepless nights and nightmare-filled naps, Kim would sometimes wake to an agonising pain surging through her body, frequent hot flashes and burning pains, which she was fortunate enough to not have that night.

She sat on the couch near the TV and pulled the ruggedly, old blanket left on the couch over her lap. For a moment Kim believed her life was normal. Just a normal girl with a normal mug drinking normal coffee in her normal home, although she knew it was far from true since she was not a normal girl and this wasn't her home. It seemed that Kim hadn't had a real home since her mother's death and although Ellen welcomed Kim into her house, it was never home.

She pulled out a book from her bag and started reading it. It was one of her father's antique hunting books. The book was old and had folded corners, the cover from the book was ripped and the pages were frayed and were soft in her fingers as she gently turned the page, not wanting to rip it.

The book was titled something in Latin. All she knew was that that book was about uncommon signs of demonic possession and could hold the answer to why she has sudden pain surges. Kim could read broken Latin, but the title of that book seemed unfamiliar to her. Thankfully, it was written in English, only small annotations were in Latin.

She held the book firmly in her hands as if she feared to let it go because it could be the answer to a question she had been asking herself for months. She read every word carefully, making sure she understood the hidden messages the author may have added.

With every page, she realised she was reaching the end of the book and still had not found an answer to her question. Although slightly relieved that it wasn't any form of demonic possession, it added another question to her growing list.

She sighed, putting the book down almost disappointed, she got up from the couch and started packing, knowing that the time she paid for was almost up. By the time she packed the last thing into her bag there was a knock on her door, meaning she stayed over time. She grabbed her duffel bag and slung it over her shoulder before walking out towards her car, seeing the classic car that was parked next to hers the night before at the Roadhouse. Thinking nothing of it, Kim quickly got into her car and started driving towards the place she pinpointed last night before she went to Ellen's bar.

She had heard that something strange happened at a nearby cemetery. She got in her car and started to drive in the direction of the graveyard, silently hoping she would find a case. She was in the mood for a hunt. She used it as a form of distraction. Her fingers tightly wrapped around the steering wheel of the car and adjusted herself slightly.

The drive wasn't short but it felt shorter because Kim spaced out on her drive. She arrived shortly and got out of the car and walked into the cemetery, her trusty iron knife tucked safely away in her waistband.

The open land was filled with sad and lonely gravestones set in symmetrical rows, placed next to a complete stranger for the rest of eternity. People walked along the rows of empty grass unknowingly walking on top of someone's buried body. Their faces were down, looking at stones that represented someone's whole life.

Kim walked along the rows of grass and observing the gravestones from afar. She walked slowly, dragging her feet along the freshly cut grass that surrounded every stone, her arm folded over her chest as she played with her necklace chain. The rough metal rubbed between her fingers. Kim sighed, thinking that this could be her place in a short few years. But she knew hunters didn't get buried, they get salted and burned.

The hunt seemed uninteresting and the cemetery was as normal and eerie as any other. The uneasy feeling, she used to get when entering a place like this had become numb and she wandered unfazed through the rows of graves.

She brushed her fingers on the top of the stones, feeling the rough stone scratch her fingers. A cold presence shivered down her spine as she walked past a line of graves as if someone was close to her. Kim stopped and looked up and around, expecting to find someone near her, but she was utterly alone.

Feeling slightly eerie, she turned around and walked in a different direction but was confronted by a tree that looked almost dead. Suspicious, she inspected the tree, knocking on the truck; it was hollow. The leaves and flowers were dried and crunchy. They turned to dust with a simple touch of Kim's fingers. She looked down and saw that she was standing on was a perfect circle of dead grass surrounding one single gravestone.

Curiously, Kim walked up to the gravestone and inspected it. The flowers left there for Angela Mason's grave were just like the flowers and leaves on the tree, dead. With curiosity running through her veins, she ran her hands through the dead grass, feeling it between her fingertips.

Kim picked out a strand of grass and rubbed it between her fingers before letting it go in the soft wind. She went for a small walk around the cemetery looking for the groundskeeper. When she found him, she asked a few questions and found out that there was no poison sprayed on the grass, it just 'showed up one day' in his words.

She walked back to her car, cautiously looking around, still not sure who or what could do something like this. It could be a demonic possession of her dead body. She got into her car and pulled out her laptop, placing it on her lap. She could feel it heating up her legs making her adjust slightly.

She looked at the screen and put it in full brightness since it was indistinguishable from the light outside shining on the screen. Kim squinted her eyes and put her face close to the screen, almost so her nose was touching it. She looked up the girl, Angela Mason, and found out that she had a father named Dr. Mason that worked at the school she went to teaching Ancient Greek and that she lived with a roommate named Lindsey.

She figured out Angela's dad's address and where his office was and decided to go there a little later on in the day since it was still quite early in the morning. She quickly shut her laptop and put it away before driving to a small park she found nearby.

The park was green, very green. The luscious grass was soft on her legs as she laid down under the shade of a weeping willow tree. Trees and shrubs scattered the park, covering the ground with shade and in the centre was a small playground with only a few children on it. With her duffel bag by her side, Kim laid on the grass with her back up against the tree. She pulled out another book about a creature that could cause something like what she had just seen, but she couldn't find anything that could have caused the dead plants. Again, her eyes scanned every word to perfection to make sure she didn't miss anything, she couldn't afford to miss anything.

By the time Kim had finished reading the book, it was time to see Dr. Mason.


	4. Chapter Two

Being in the unknown was a very dangerous position for a hunter. So many things could go wrong if a hunter charged into a case without the required knowledge, and unfortunately, Kim was in the unknown–and she knew it. She was confused about the current case she was doing, unsure if it was even a case.

She's didn't want to see Dr. Mason, sure that it would bring up more questions than answers, but she knew that if she were to get the job done, it was something she had to do. It was the only lead she had. She didn't even know what happened to his daughter, unsure if it was even a supernatural occurrence. She was going in blind with no knowledge except for the facts that her grave was suspiciously surrounded with dead plants and she was only doing this to keep her mind distracted.

Packing her unhelpful book away, she made her way to her car and drove to the nearby address she had discovered, listening to some music as she drove. She had never really had a preference in music since everyone in her family had different taste, so Kim — being the youngest — had to listen to whatever her family put on.

Kim huffed when she made it to his house, meaning she would have to get out of the car and actually communicate with a grieving human; hopefully human. Kim was a person one could consider unemphatic. She believed the easiest way to deal with any emotional trauma was to repress it and that's what she always did. She'd let it fester in her as she silently suffered just as she was taught to do and therefore had no idea how to deal with someone who excepted their emotions and tried to deal with them.

Huffing, she stepped out of the car and stood in front of the house before trudging forward. She walked up the stairs and knocked on the door and a short man answered the door after a few moments of waiting. His vest was neat and grey, and he looked very presentable, so formal for his own house; when really it was quite normal, Kim just barely put much effort into her appearance.

The first thing she thought of was how presentable and normal he looked. By his appearance — and appearance only — Kim believed he had no idea about what could be going on in the world outside of his own.

The man looked at her and smiled weakly, a smile Kim knew too well.

"Hi, Dr. Mason?" Kim asked softly, faking a voice of solemn tones.

"Yes, I'm Dr. Mason," he confirmed.

"Hi, I'm Sarah, I was one of Angela's friends at school. I wanted to offer my condolences," Kim smiled sadly, trying her best to sound convincingly sympathetic. His glum smile grew a little, Kim copied it comfortingly.

Whenever introducing herself to someone she wasn't going to know long or had no future in knowing, she would use her sisters name in order to protect her identity. She hardly like to use it because as the name touched her lips, it left a sour taste in her mouth, but whenever she was put in a situation where she needed to give someone her name, Sarah's name would automatically slip out of her mouth.

"Please, come in," he greeted, moving out of the way. Kim looked around before cautiously walking into the house and followed the man into the lounge room decorated with healthy flowers and dusty books set upon an old bookshelf. He gestured for her to sit and she did, feeling herself sink into the soft couch. She looked around the room and saw a few interesting books filled with symbols and weird letters she was vaguely familiar with. With only a quick second thought, she moved on from the books and back to the unfortunate man.

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened?" Her voice was gentle, it was not something common to hear from her. Dr. Mason sighed and sat down across from her, twiddling his thumbs as a nervous tick. Kim was very observant and saw that he was distressed as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Kim smiled, knowing it would be enough encouragement to convince him to start talking.

"No, I'm going to have to talk about it sometime —" Dr. Mason said but was interrupted by an abrupt knock on the door. He raised an eyebrow before excusing himself and walked to the door slowly.

Kim stayed seated and listened with curiosity.

"Dr. Mason?" a deep voice said from outside. Kim listened intensely to the voice, wondering who it could be. Curious, she looked outside the window behind her trying to see who it was, but instead of seeing a person she saw the same classic car that was outside the Roadhouse parked only a few meters away. The same car she saw at the motel and she started to wonder if whoever owned the car was following her. Slowly, she reached for her iron knife in her waistband and hovered her hand over it for easy access just in case something happened.

"Yes?" Dr. Mason said.

"I'm Sam, and this is Dean. We were friends of Angela's. We came to offer our condolences," a sweeter and kinder voice appeared. Kim raised an eyebrow and wondered who they really were, immediately not convinced that they were who they said they were just as she wasn't.

"Please, come in. Another friend of Angela's is here too," he said leading the two strangers into Kim's presence. Kim studied them intensely. They marched in with an unconcerned intimidation which Kim did not acknowledge. Both were tall, one taller than the other although it was hard to say exactly from the angle she was looking from. Each stood with their own posture which radiated a form of raw masculinity, all of which Kim had only seen once before. They both wore dark colours and baggy jackets, typical hunter's wear. Her eyes scanned them and after glancing at the face she confided who they were. Hunters.

The boys she bumped into at the bar. Kim studied their faces and saw that they were studying her as well. Kim shifted her eyes over the shorter one's face, her gaze accidentally falling into his. She had locked sight with a set of entrancing green eyes, mysteriously dull set with a matching smile, which looked as though it wasn't what it seemed. Kim knew all too well about a fake smile hiding whatever was underneath, but his smile seemed more extensive than that.

"I don't believe we've met. I'm Sam and this is Dean," Sam introduced with a small smile reaching his hand out to shake. Kim took it slowly and cautiously, not sure if they were on the same case. She wondered if they recognised her from the bar or if they believed that she actually one of Angela's friend.

"Sarah," said slowly, standing up to shake his hand. Dean decided to do the same.

Kim sat back down and watch as Sam sat next to her and Dean wondered around the room, looking at the interesting book that was placed on the shelf.

"How did you know Angela?" Sam asked. Kim squinted her eyes at him but acted naturally. She studied his face and appearance some more and realised that he had a knife in his shoe covered by his sock and a gun tucked into the back of his pants, hidden by his baggy jacket. A classic hunter move that Kim was guilty of.

"School," she answered simply, giving as little detail as possible. She looked over to a picture of Angela. "She was beautiful," she added.

"Yeah, she was," Dr. Mason added. There was a small silence in the room as Dean wandered around the room, admiring the books Dr. Mason had on his shelf.

"This is an interesting book," Dean said gesturing to a book filled with strange symbols.

"It's Ancient Greek. I teach a course," he stated. Dean smiled a quick and small smile, before turning back to the book.

As the convocation went on, Kim listened to the questions they were asking and discovered that Sam and Dean were implying that it was some sort of resurrection.

Questions like: "Do you miss your daughter?" It's a stupid question because of course he missed his daughter. The question implied if he missed her enough to raise her from the dead.

"Do you still feel her presence?" Another question that didn't make sense and it soon became obvious this convocation was about a resurrection and she felt silly for not realising it herself. A resurrection was not something she came across often as a hunter and it was not something that came quickly to her mind. The dead plants and trees and the perfect circle around the gravestone were details which pointed towards a spell like that.

"You know, I still phone her. And the phone's ringing before I remember that, uh... Family's everything, you know? Angie was the most important thing in my life. And now I... I'm just lost without her," Dr. Mason said visibly emotional, a suppressed whimper stuck in his throat. He sighed sadly and put his head in his hands.

"We're very sorry," Sam said sadly.

With the fact that they were hunters, Kim decided it would be best for her to continue on with the case hoping to get it done without bumping into them again. Kim had a better lead now, with the new knowledge of resurrection – she was no longer blind.

Normally, when other hunters joined her case, she would back off and start another case, hoping to avoid hunter conflict. She worked alone. It had almost become a habit to her that anything else would be uncomfortable. She preferred to silently leave town without the hunter even knowing that another hunter was working the same case.

Kim smiled sadly and got up from her seat. "Uh, I best be going. It was nice to meet you, Dr. Mason. Sam, Dean," Kim nodded softly to each of them before walking towards the door.

"Yeah, we'll be off too," Dean said and walked towards Kim, Sam not far behind.

Kim listened to their footsteps get closer to her and she groaned lowly to herself before walking out of the house and towards her car, her steps casually longer and faster than normal. These hunters seemed to be the persistent type and she knew that any longer in their presence would lead to a conversation Kim was too busy to indulge them in. Her attempt to avoid them was quickly undermined by an unfamiliar presence crawling up behind her. She stood at the door of her car, about to get in and dismiss the idea of some additional hunters joining her case.

"Uh, Sarah, was it? We just have a few questions to ask you," Dean said a bit louder than his average voice in order to grab her attention. She stopped right in front of her car and slowly turned around to look at them. She smiled slightly, hoping their interaction would be quick.

"Yeah, sure," Kim smiled innocently. Sam looked around for a moment and then looked back at Kim.

"Maybe we should talk somewhere else?" he said leading Kim away from the house and to a nearby bench surrounded by trees and serenity. Sam gestured for her to sit down, but she refused. Dean rolled his eyes and sat down next to Sam as Kim stood up and leaned against a tree.

"How did you know Angela?" Kim asked before either of them could speak. Dean looked at Sam suspiciously and then looked at Kim again.

"We were friends," Sam answered simply. Kim raised an eyebrow showing she wasn't unconvinced with their little story. "We just wanted to know if, before the accident, was she acting a bit different? A little weird?" he asked. Before she could answer, Dean, interrupted:

"Or maybe you feel her presence close to you sometimes? Like she was near you?" Dean added.

She indistinctly rolled her eyes. She knew that they thought she resurrected her. It was quite amusing to Kim but she needed to get on with the case. She answered them simply — which she could see Dean didn't like — but got bored with their questions quickly and became irritated because Sam was treating her like a fragile child.

He asked if she was okay.

How she was dealing with the death.

If she missed her, so she decided to move the conversation along.

"Actually, once I think about it, something did happen. But I don't know if it's going to help." Both Sam and Dean looked at her longing for the information. "She did get into a fight with her cousin that week. But that's all I know," she said softly, acting very fragile and innocent. Sam smiled at her and thanked her for her time before they hurried off to their car and drove away, presumably to find Angela's cousin.

Kim sighed to herself as she watched them drive in the wrong direction. Kim had no personal dislike towards Sam or Dean, and at first, she wasn't planning on sending them on a wild-goose-chase, but her patience could only last so long and it seemed like they were in a hurry to leave after Kim gave them the 'information' they were after. After all, Kim preferred to work solo.

As Kim walked back to the car she made the decision to go and talk to her roommate, pretending to be a guidance counsellor or therapist or something sentimental like that. She searched up the address on her laptop and drove to her house.

She knocked on the door of the house.

The door was answered by a girl with black hair and a small smile. She had red, watery eyes with tear stain down her cheek. Kim smiled sadly at her.

"Hello, Lindsey. My name is Sarah Hollow and I am a government-sent counsellor. I'm here to talk to you — or you talk to me — about the death of Angela. She was your roommate, right? It must be hard for you right now," Kim said pulling out a tissue from her pocket and handing it to her. Lindsey took it gratefully and wiped away coming tears.

"I didn't know the government sent guidance counsellors," she said as she stepped aside to let Kim in.

"Not many people do," Kim lied convincingly. Kim had always been a good liar. It came with the profession.

She led Kim into the small house and into the crowded living room. Lindsey gestured for her to sit down and she did, looking into the red eye of Lindsey and saw the guilt-ridden sadness.

"Where'd you like me to start?" Lindsey asked, sounding like she wanted to get it over with.

"At the beginning," Kim smiled politely as she swirled the pin on her top, she was slightly uncomfortable. Lindsey cried into the tissue until it was drowning in her tears. Kim pulled out another tissue and handed it to her, continuing to lay her role. She wasn't used to being around emotional people and grew up having no idea how to react or properly comfort anyone. Nor could she use personal experiences to guide her, usually spending they're times she been upset alone, silently repressing, so she continuously handed tissues to Lindsey not knowing what else to do. "You two must have been really close," Kim smiled sadly.

"She was just, great. She was sweet and kind and never did anything to hurt anyone," she cried. The tears streaming down her red cheeks. "But it wasn't just Angela. It was Matt as well. Matt was her boyfriend, he killed himself last night. Slit his own throat. I mean, who does that?" she sobbed.

"He must have been going through a lot. I mean, the death of a loved one is one of the hardest things you can go through in life," Kim said sympathetically, not exactly concentrating on what to say to her.

Lindsey nodded before excusing herself to go to the bathroom. Kim waited for her to walk out of sight before she took the opportunity to look throughout the house. She walked down a small hall and into a room which she believed belonged to Angela. Before entering, she looked around to make sure that no one saw her and she sneaked in.

As quickly as she could, she searched the room for anything helpful. Kim quietly searched through draws and under the bed mattress, in cupboards and behind furniture before she found a small book that was Angela's diary. Kim smiled to herself and quickly flicked through the pages, in hopes to find something, but she hears Lindsey walking out of the bathroom.

"Shit," she cursed. Kim was going to stuff the book in her jacket but decided it wasn't the smartest thing to do in the situation she was in, considering people were going to have to clean up Angela's things at some point, so she quickly took a photo of the pages and walked out of her room as nonchalant as possible.

She walked back into the living room where they were having their conversation. Kim scanned the room for Lindsey but couldn't find her. Seconds later she walked out from around the corner holding two glasses of water. She held one out to Kim and she smiled before taking it. Of course, she wasn't going to drink it, even if it was handed to her by someone who seemed as harmless as Lindsey.

Lindsey and Kim sat back down in the spots they sat before.

"Where were you?" Lindsey asked.

"Just looking at some photos over there," Kim lied smoothly, pointing to the photos on the wall. Lindsey smiled at the memories.

"That's Neil. One of Angela's best friends and the one next to him was Matt. They didn't get along very well, but Neil always had a huge crush on Angela," Lindsey spilled as she started to cry yet again.

She sobbed loudly into her tissue and blew her nose, making Kim shuffle uncomfortably. "He seemed really upset after her death, but I didn't think he would go as far as killing himself. He became really messed up."

"Mess up how?" Kim questioned.

"He said he kept seeing her," Kim frowned her eyebrows.

"Like, really seeing her, or 'I'm so in love with her that I see her everywhere,'" Kim asked. Lindsey's eyes widened.

"No, like seeing her as in an acid trip or something," she corrected. Kim wondered for a second.

"Did they have a good, trusting relationship?" Kim asked. Lindsey looked shocked.

"Of course," She said defensively as if it was obvious. "Why would you ask that?"

"Oh, no reason. I was just wondering."

•※•

Kim made herself comfortable in her car that was now parked on a lonely street a few minutes down the road from Lindsey's house. She flicked through the pictures of Angela's diary on her phone and discovered that Angela was an extremely nice girl. Like... too nice.

As she read, she became more interested with the 'Neil' character and soon became convinced that his crush was actually a bit of obsession. The things she'd write about him and the things he'd do didn't seem like an innocent guy in love instead of an obsessive and jealous guy. She started to do some research, grabbing her laptop soon to discover where he lived and drive there in complete silence.

Kim was a very professional hunter, she made a point of it considering the sloppy stereotype of her age, so she barely showed emotion towards a case, especially some random case she just happened to stumble upon. She wondered why she cared so much about this case. It was slightly concerning to her that the thought of a successful resurrection spell was comforting in her mind.

Kim knocked on the door of the shaggy, old house and was answered with a young man answering the door and looking up at her.

Kim lied to his face, telling him the same bullshit story she told Lindsey about her being a guidance counsellor from the government. She threw him a sad smile and a tissue and it was almost as if the guys started spilling his guts. At first, he refused, saying he had no need for a counsellor, but he invited her into his house for a chat after she gently touched his arm.

Kim watched his movements carefully. He was nervous, angry, hurt as if he lost a loved one, which he had. He played with his fingers as he spoke and looked everywhere but at Kim, showing her he was distressed.

"You did hear about what happened to Matt?" Kim questioned. Neil's head shot up at the mentioning of that man, sending questions into Kim's head.

"Yeah, the government must be disappointed about not getting to him in time," Neil said.

"Yeah..." Kim played along. "It was tragic."

"But the government couldn't have done anything. He didn't kill himself over grief, it was because of guilt," Neil spat. Kim sent him a questioning look which he caught. "Matt cheated on Angela the night she died. She was angry and came to me for comfort. We started talking and then Matt came. She told me to send him away and I tried, but he pushed past. By the time I had walked back to where Angela was, she was gone. Matt called her as she was driving... And I guess she got distracted," he mourned.

"You really liked her, didn't you?" Kim faked smiled.

"Is it that obvious?" he asked which Kim returned with a reassuring smile.

Kim opened her mouth to say something, but she was distracted by some noises in the background. It was car doors slamming shut. Kim got up and looked out of the window, completely ignoring the questioning look Neil was giving to her. She saw the same classic car that had been unknowingly following her around for the past twenty-four house.

Kim groaned as Neil went to go answer the door, knowing that she would have to deal with them now. Kim walked up behind him and locked eye with Sam and Dean, a scowl swooping over their face when they saw her.

Kim looked at Neil kindly.

"I best be off," she said kindly to Neil before sliding past Sam and Dean, slightly bumping shoulders as she did. Sam sent a look to Dean, telling him to go after Kim, which he did. Dean slightly nodded at Neil before turning away and following Kim. He grabbed her shoulder as she walked away, twisting her so that they were face to face. Kim was a bit shocked at the force of the turn.

Dean looked at her, observing her face while they could hear Neil in the background telling Sam he didn't need another guidance counsellor. He furrowed his eyebrows at her before she yanked her shoulder out from his grasp.

"You heard him," Kim yelled out to Sam who was still harassing Neil. "He doesn't need another heart-to-heart meeting, so I guess you should leave him alone," Kim said loudly, yet not in an aggressive way. She stated it, more as a fact.

Sam looked at Neil and apologised before exiting his property and walked towards where Kim and Dean were. Neil went back inside, and they could hear him lock the door quickly.

As Sam caught up with the two, Dean grabbed Kim's arm and dragged her around the corner, away from the eyes of viewing civilians. He pushed her away and stood in front of her, a scowling position on his face.

"Who are you?" Dean asked, deadly serious. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Not Sarah," she said simply, not really answering the questions. Dean growled at her and her stupid answers, wasting their time just as much as they were wasting hers.

"What's your name?" he asked gravely. Kim looked into his deep eyes and squinted at them. She believed their names were Sam and Dean so she agreed to indulge them in her name.

"Kim."

"Kim who?" Sam asked a little too quickly.

"Who wants to know?" Kim questioned, crossing her arms.

"Sam and Dean Winchester, that's who?" Dean growled.

The familiar name made Kim's eyes widen in shock and instantly her curious eyes wandered over their faces, looking for some similarity, surprised at how she hadn't noticed before. The amazement she held in her expression scared the boys, looking at them as if she had met a long-lost friend.

"Winchester?" she asked softly, her lips falling apart as she felt her heart sink. She watched the boys look curiously at each other.

"Yeah, why?" he asked, stepping forward suspiciously. Instantly, Kim snapped herself out of her curious gaze and back into reality.

For many years, she had heard of the Winchester brothers. How they resembled their father and worked just as well. Professional hunters with attitude, just like their father. Kim would hear stories about the kids and how they were living up to the hunting world's expectation. She had also heard that they were as good — maybe even better than their father, which Kim couldn't to believe. The Winchester brothers were like a mystery to the hunting world.

"The legacy of the Winchesters lives on, I guess," she muttered, mostly to herself. Sam smiled and nodded his head slightly.

"Yeah, we've heard that before," he said, thinking about his father and how they carry on his name and reputation.

"Are you a hunter?" Dean asked, totally forgetting his original question.

Kim rolled her eyes at his stupid question.

"No, I'm actually here as a guidance counsellor from the government," she slurred sarcastically, both boys huffed at her wit.

"Oh, I'm sorry, thought you were twelve," he huffed back with just as much sarcasm. Kim shot him a deadly look, her tension slowly rising at his comment.

"I'm not a child," she spat quickly. If looks could kill, there would be only one Winchester left. Although Dean was getting a nasty glare from Kim, he still laughed, not seeing her as a threat. Dean took a step back — still laughing — and held his hands up in surrender.

"Wow, someone's sensitive," he laughed. At that comment, Kim quickly changed her facial expression to neutral and cursed at herself for displaying foolish behaviour.

Without apologising, Kim decided to move on and got to the subject at hand.

"His name's Neil. Had a huge crush on Angela, and when I say huge I mean obsessive huge. She had a boyfriend Matt who cheated on her the night she died. Matt killed himself the next day by slicing his throat, although, I don't think he did it himself." Kim stated, catching them up on the facts. "You guys do think it's a resurrection, don't you?" she asked.

Dean looked at Sam once again.

"Yeah, we do," he said. Kim nodded as her response and waited for them to say something.

"Well, after you sent us off on a wild goose chase to nowhere, we drove past the cemetery that Angela was buried in and dug up her bones to burn, but the body wasn't there. Like, vanished into thin air gone," Dean finished.

"But we did find a symbol carved into the grave," Sam said showing her a photo of the symbol. Kim took the phone from Sam's hand and zoomed in, looking carefully at the mysterious symbol.

"I've never seen anything like it before," she added, applying she had seen a lot. "Who do you think did it?" Kim asked as Dean crossed his arms.

"I'll bet anything it was Dr. Mason. He said he could feel her around and his book of Ancient Greek symbols," Dean argued defensively, not sure how comfortable he was with a child correcting his professional hunting opinion, but Kim shook her head.

"No, I don't think so, when you were talking to him I saw that he had healthy flowers in his house, plus that book is for his class which I doubt has a resurrection ritual in it. He may have loved her, but he doesn't even seem like the type of person who would believe in such a thing if he came across it," Kim argued.

"Aren't you an observant twelve-year-old," Dean sassed jokingly with his signature smile, "We're going," he ordered, his expression changing as he walked back to his car with Sam. She watched blankly as they drove to Dr. Mason's house to convict him of something he was not guilty of.

Kim groaned, walking back to her car to do some further research before diving in and accusing someone. She researched the symbol and discovered it was used for resurrection and then continued her manic search for answers by researching how to kill a real 'zombie'. Scrunching her nose in disgust, she realised that all the websites that showed up were shit from movies and a bunch of miss-matched information. Some websites suggested silver, other say headshot, others were certain that silver did nothing and the only thing to kill them were three shots to the heart and one to the head, but Kim had silver bullets so she went with that.

Before she went to Neil's house she went to Lindsey's to try and figure some other things out, like who Matt cheated with, but by the time Kim got there, Angela had already made her move.

Instinctively, Kim loaded one of her guns with silver bullets before shoving it in the waistband, along with extra ammo. With a stiff shift, Kim quickly made her way inside Lindsey house, swinging the door open, hearing the screams erupt. Running towards the noise, Kim found a pale, stiff Angela pinning Lindsey to a wall, scissors against her throat.

Angela looked nothing like the photos she had seen of her. Her pleasurable and sweet expression was drowned in a stern, pale one. Her viscous nature ruined her once caring one; this was no way to remember someone.

"I'm sorry!" Lindsey cried, tears streaming down her sorry face.

"Not sorry enough!" Angela growled swinging back the scissors to stab her. Kim held up the gun and shot her in the shoulder, it did nothing but gather her attention. It didn't hurt her in any way and Kim groaned to herself for listening to some fanfiction website.

Kim watched as Angela spun her head around, switching her attention to Kim. She charged and swung the scissors viciously at her, aiming for her neck. Her swing was so powerful she stumbled as Kim dodged, ducking under her aim. Angela kept swinging continually, each hit more brutal than the next as Kim jumped back. One scraped Kim's arm and forehead as she jumped back. She felt the knife rip through her skin, leave a flap of her red, moist flesh dangling from her body as blood poured from the deep wound. It gushed down her arm and face, almost blinding her before she quickly wiped the blood away from her eye. Ducking to the ground, Kim swept her feet along the surface of the floor, sending Angela falling as she knocked her legs. Quickly, Kim loaded the gun and aimed it at Angela's head, but she scurried away before she could fire.

Kim cursed at herself as she watched Angela run away from her at an inhuman speed. Groaning and puffing, she held her forearm down to try and stop the blood as a pool had already collected in the floor. Saliva dripped down her chin rabidly as she panted, her chest rapidly rising and falling as he hunched over the rich, red blood that surrounded her.

"I thought zombies were supposed to be slow," Kim puffed.

•※•

It was dark when Kim pulled her car over at Neil's office where he studied and knocked on the door. He opened the door, a little surprised to see his guidance counsellor from the government standing there with a bloodied arm and a gash on her forehead, trailing a pool of blood wherever she walked. The blood messily dripped down her face, staining her teeth as she stared at Neil.

"I know what you did. Where is she?" Kim asked sternly, refusing to play nice anymore.

"I — I don't know what you're talking about," he said quietly. Kim pointed to her face.

"Are you sure about that?" she asked violently, making Neil jump back in fright. The boy was stubborn and still shook his head. The impatience and frustration grew in Kim as she faced him, she grabbed him by the collar and pushed him against the wall.

"I'm not an idiot, dude. So, don't take me for one," she growled threateningly through gritted teeth, blood spitting onto his whimpering face as she brought him closer; the illusion of a calm guidance counsellor was destroyed. "Now, where's Angela?" she demanded, letting him go.

"She's at my house," he fretted. Kim turned without acknowledging him and marched back to her car when Sam and Dean pulled over and parked next to Kim's car. They hopped out of the car and jogged towards her. They both winced at her sight.

"What the hell happened to you?" Dean asked.

"Angela the zombie happened to me," she huffed in pain, "Hell has no fury... Neil said she was at his house," she finished, but in the distance, Dean heard Neil speaking.

"I thought I told you to stay at home?" Neil whispers nicely.

"I'm sorry, I just had to see you." That was definitely Angela. "Neil please, you need to help me. They're trying to kill me. We have to get rid of them," she whined. "We need to go to the cemetery."

"God help me, yes. Okay. I'll take you there," Neil replied, giving into her. Kim looked at Sam and Dean.

"We need it to go to the cemetery," she said, her voice filled with determination and rushed motivation. "Do you know how to kill it?"

•※•

The night was pitch black and eerily quiet. Sam and Dean were lighting candles around Angela's dug-up grave, getting prepared for the ritual they were going to do to make sure Angela stayed dead for good. Kim kept a watch out from her; she kept herself on her toes, prepared for whatever was to pop out at her.

"Do you really think this is going to work?" Sam asked Dean, who stopped what he was doing and thought about it for a second.

"No, not really. But it was the only thing I could come up with."

Kim, ignoring their conversation, stepped forward when she heard a mysterious noise from the shadows. She cocked her gun and aimed it in front of her, her finger ready on the trigger. Sam saw Kim and stopped what he was going and watched as Kim took another step.

Then, out from the shadows came a running Angela who looked scared for her life, but Kim didn't buy it. She put her hands up in surrender.

"Wait, wait! It's not what you think. I didn't ask to be brought back. But it's still me. I'm still a person, please," Angela whimpered, but Kim fired the silver bullet at her chest, but it did nothing. It just made her angrier. Then Angela bolted towards the grave, a horrible anger was written over her face as she tackled Kim which sent her falling to the ground.

Kim could hear Dean mutter something about a catfight, but she was too busy not dying to hear all of what he said.

Sam ran over to help, sending a punch to her face, but she barely flinched. He retreated in pain, putting pressure on his now broken hand. Kim kicked her off of herself with her legs and hopped back up. She locked the gun and fired at her, making her jolt backward. With the force of the bullets, she fell into her grave. Dean grabbed a long metal stake and runs towards the grave and he buried it in her chest. Her back arched as she screeched in pain, the pole all the way through her chest before her body fell limp.

"What's dead should stay dead," Dean spat as he looked down on the corpse of Angela, her pain white skin and sickly veins showing through the rotting flesh. He covered the closed coffin with dirt. Kim swallowed a lump in her throat, twirling her necklace chain between her wet and bloodied fingers as Dean's words hollowed her heart. Kim sighed and wiped the blood off her face before looking at Sam and Dean, her free hand still pressing her ripped skin to her body.

"You guys aren't half bad," Kim huffed, taking her hand off her wound for a second to wipe the blood off her hands onto her jacket, making sure the compliment sounded as tasteless as it needed to be, "Living up to the legend," Sam smiled at her.

"You too. But I think she broke my hand," he said, caressing his hand.

"You're just precious, that's all. We'll get it looked at later," Dean said walking off after packing up all the equipment. He looked at Kim. "You're feisty for a twelve-year-old," he added with a smirk, which Kim returned, this time embracing the teasing humour.

"I'm the toughest twelve-year-old you'll ever meet," she smiled accepting the nickname. Den's eyes flickered to her wound as she quickly went to cover it again.

"You all good there?" he asked as he watched the grass at her feet turn red. Kim nodded and applied more pressure to her wound. She was starting to feel the effect of the adrenaline wear off and the blood loss kick in. Her head quickly became faint, but she nodded soundly.

"I'll stitch it up later," she shrugged effortlessly. Dean pursed his lips and nodded, still looking at her wound before looking to the wound on her forehead.

"Hope to see you around sometime, kid. You're pretty good," he complimented surprisingly before gathering his things and walking off with Sam. They had a curious sense of familiar professionalism that Kim admired, something she hadn't seen in a year.

Kim smiled to herself slightly, accepting his complement, before walking away, holding her arm together with one hand.


	5. Chapter Three

Kim awoke in the middle of the night to a white-hot pain in her lower abdomen, striking her like an immensely strong hit by a metal baseball bat. She felt her muscles tense and her skin crawl with horrid tension. It was sharp and instant, awakening her from some much needed sleep. Her eyes shot open as she arched her back, her immediate moved kicked the motel sheets off of her. Her wallowing voice echoed through the room, her cries scratching her dry throat. An immense throbbing overtook her muscles and she rapidly moved to press her hand on the pained area. Her stiff body began to sweat in waves of vast discomfort, with each wave a higher level of excruciating torture. She rolled around in agony and what was mostly likely a few torturous minutes felt like hours of perpetual, brain throbbing pain.

Her heat was racing to a point of feeling it overwork and her brain throbbed in the back of her head, matching the race of her heart. Her breathing had become restricted and she gasped with desperate need of air, feeling her chest tighten and her lung collapse from deprivation. She could feel the air restriction effecting her movements, her thrashing actions becoming sloppy. Her gasps echoed against the walls until she felt her lungs filled with as much air as they could hold, her gasp holding ten seconds.

Slowly, the pain subsides and faded away, leaving Kim panting, sweaty and nauseous, lying in an uncomfortable bed of messy sheets. Breathless, she struggled out of bed and fluffed her top, removing it from her clammy skin. Kim had started getting strange pains almost a year ago, although she was too stubborn to go see someone about it; whether it be a doctor or a hunter who might know about her unexplained pains.

It had been a few weeks since she had met Sam and Dean and she hand't seen them since. She presumed they were on their own cases just as she was, keeping their families ongoing reputation.

For the past few weeks, Kim had been keeping to herself, not going to visit Ellen, Jo or Ash. She just found other cases and worked them, trying to keep to her own business as much as possible. As she hunted, her mind stayed distracted and eventually her sleepless nights and hungry days started to become normal again as she would sleep and eat the normal amount a hunter would.

Kim knew that being alone was the best thing for her in situations like that. She hated being comforted and would rather work out her own problems than ask for advise or seek help. It was rare for Kim to ask for help, probably more rare then her wearing coloured clothes. It just wasn't something she did. She almost shunned upon it. Kim was the type of girl to fix her own dilemmas, and if she couldn't, she'd find a way to live with them. She had managed to convince herself that she didn't need help even in her most desperate times where she wouldn't eat for days and go exhausted longer.

It was the way she was brought up. Moving from motel to motel with hardly a parent around, you learnt to take care of yourself most of the time. Small things weren't worth mentioning and big things were passed aside for something bigger. Sarah was less than unhelpful and her father was barley around to listen, so young Kim kept to herself because its wasn't worth bothering people over, a habit she took into adulthood.

The motel she was currently in reminded her of the ones she would visit when she was a young solo hunter with barley any money to even afford a room. If she was lucky she would be able to rent a room in a shitty motel with mouldy walls and a retched smell for a night so that she had a bed to sleep in, otherwise she would be stuck in the back of her family's Jeep for another night.

Not being able to get back to sleep, Kim got dressed and packed her belongings. She left the motel room and decided to go for a walk, hoping the cool morning air would help relax her hot, swollen muscles. The streets were filled with the pink glow of the rising sun, so lonely and quiet as the night slowly switched to day and only few people were out. A silence so fragile, it would be rude to break it. She walked as breakfast venues and cafes opened.

The small buzz of normal people living their normal lives made Kim jealous. She didn't particularly long for a apple-pie family with a husband and children, but she longed for a life where she had the option. She longed to wake up in the morning not having to worry what day would be her last. She wished that for once, she could wake up in her own house and have a fridge full of food to make her own breakfast.

Kim decided she deserved a little break and did just that and since she had just started to get her appetite back, she decided a breakfast cafe would be pleasant. No customers in there as the 'open' sign had just switched, the place would be peaceful, quite desirable for a simple morning breakfast. She went to have breakfast at a small, cute cafe. It was filled with the Sun's orange-tinted glow that shone through the blind. She sat down at a small booth near a window and she looked out and smiled at the almost empty street as she hunched and let her face drop in her usual scowl.

The sky was quite amusing to watch as she sat, the soft shift of the sky turning from the dark of night to the morning pink. She remembered her mother telling her that if the morning light was pink in the sky, it would be a great day. It was one of the only memories she had of her mother and she wanted to believe her, but nothing good ever came from waking up as a hunter; pink sky or not.

As she waited, a waiter walked up to her and she looked up at him. He was young, maybe her age and he had brown shaggy hair and bright blue eyes with a kind smile she like to look at.

"It's not often I get to see a beautiful girl like you in here," he wooed her with a smile. Kim, a little embarrassed and perplexed, looked at the menu, not excepting the complement. Kim was rarely given complements, she always too busy on hunts to have a social life.

"What can I get you?" he asked.

"I'll have a stack of waffles, please, with ice-cream and bacon," Kim replied with a smile.

"They're the best, my favourite," he looked down at her with a boyish smile before taking the menu back and turning away.

She waited patiently for her breakfast, playing with her pin on her shirt and using her time to look out of the window, her mind not wandering in any particular direction. Kim watched the birds sing from the trees that swayed in the soft breeze. She watched the cars drive past and subconsciously noticed a familiar one slowly drive down the street. Her mind was somewhere else. It was nice knowing there was no hunt to be down or responsibility to withhold; but it had been a few weeks since she had last seen Ellen and she knew she would get her ass kicked if she put it off any longer.

Kim was served her breakfast shortly after by the same attractive boy who took her order. He sent her a wink and a smile as he left her alone to enjoy her breakfast. Shying away, she soaked her waffles in maple syrup and butter before gracefully shoving them into her mouth. It had been a while since she had had a good breakfast.

After finishing the plate and wiping the maple syrup clean off with the last of her waffles, she licked her fingers and payed for her meal, sending the waiter a quickly look before leaving. He hadn't noticed her glance so she continued on her way, jogging back to the motel, hopped in her jeep and drove herself all the way to Ellen's.

•※•

With pursed lips, Kim walked into Ellen's bar and was immediately engulfed in a hug by an extremely excited Jo, who stopped playing an arcade shooting game to greet her greatly missed friends, who she considered to be her sister.

"What are you doing here? I haven't seen you in ages!" Jo laughed, "Mom told me you were in the area and didn't come see me," she playfully punched Kim's arm.

"I know, I'm sorry. But I'm here now," Kim replied with an apologetic smile which consented of her lips pressed together simply stretched in a think line, hoping it would make up for their lost time. Kim's head craned in the direction of Ellen's thick and homely laugh, who she found standing next to a hunter whom she knew as Ed.

"You went and got yourself hustled, Ed," she teased, slapping Ed's shoulder and walking away from the game with a huge smile on her face.

"I see you still rock the arcade games," Kim acknowledged.

"Yeah, it's sorta my thing," she admitted, expectantly raising her eyebrows towards Kim.

"No," Kim denied, knowing exactly what Jo wanted.

"C'mon Kim! Just one game, please?" Jo begged, grabbing Kim's arm and attempting to pull her towards the 'Ten-Point Buck' shooting game.

"Jo, I'm not playing against you again, I learnt my lesson the first time," Kim said wiggling out of Jo's grip and moving towards Ellen, who was standing with her arms crossed over.

"Well, I'll be dammed if I thought you would be back so soon," Ellen drawled sarcastically. Kim smiled sarcastically at her before strolling towards the back room and banging her fist on the wooden door.

"Hey Dr. Badass! I'm here!" Kim announced. After a few seconds, Ash stumbled out if his room, shuffling his pants and a frayed jean vest on.

"Kim. Good to see ya," he smirked, throwing an arm around her shoulder and pulling her close. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist, feeling his arms around her like she did when she was younger. "Haven't seen ya in a while," he complained, giving her a stiff pat on her back. Kim missed his thick Texan accent, it always felt homely.

"Yeah, good to see you too," Kim smiled a lopsided smile, missing her family. She watched Ash as he swaggered back into his room, unzipping his pant on his way. "Never had no shame, that kid," she sighed.

Kim sat down at the bar, taking in her surroundings. There weren't a lot of people in the Roadhouse, but there was enough to keep the business going. Men drinking beers and playing pool while some women polished their guns and loaded up ammo.

"Ok," Ellen started, leaning on the bar Kim sat at. "You can have one beer, and that's it. And you're not driving for an hour after," she declared strictly with a hard look on her face. Kim nodded, gesturing for Ellen to get her that drink. Ellen put a cold bottle of PBR in front of Kim and popped the cap.

Kim took a sip of her drink, sighing in satisfaction, when the doors of the bar swung open and in walked two men. They seemed as if they were in a rush to get something or somewhere, whatever it was Kim didn't take too much notice of who it was or what they wanted until she snapped her head in the direction of a stumbling Jo. She took a few steps backwards, stumbling into some chairs causing a small ruckus, but Jo was caught from falling by one of the men who had just arrived. Kim watched as Jo got herself stable and smiled at the man in front of her.

"Just can't stay away, huh?" Jo joked with a smile.

"Yeah, it seems like it," a newly familiar voice said, it was low and rough, professional and strict. A voice she had heard before.

"Where's Ash?" another newly familiar voice said, and she knew exactly who it was. Sam and Dean Winchester.

Kim diverted her eyes, even though they seemed too busy to notice she was there, because she was pretty sure they wouldn't be too happy to see her right now, especially after she sent them on a wild-gooses-chase to the middle of nowhere. She saw from the corner of her eye, both Sam and Dean rushing towards Ash's room. There were loud knocks on his room that seemed rushed, as if they were in a hurry.

"Hey, Dr Badass?" Dean yelled out to Ash from behind the door, looking at the sign saying 'Dr Badass' that hanged on his door, almost laughing at it.

"Sam? Dean? Sam and Dean," Ash confirmed.

"Hey Ash uh... We need your help," Sam told him, sounding worried.

"Well, hell, then. I guess I need my pants again," he chuckled closing the door. Sam and Dean walked away from the back room and into the open bar, waiting for Ash to come back.

Sam and Dean were now hovering over Ash's shoulder, looking at his computer, only making Kim more curious than she already was at what they were in such a hurry for. She didn't want to draw attention to herself so she faced away from Sam and Dean, playing with her now empty beer bottle. Ash was typing away on his computer furiously, his eyes glued to the screen. He had always been great with electronics, better than anyone she's ever met. He even made the computer himself, you could tell by the exposed wires tangled together.

"Well, I got a match. It's the logo from the Blue Ridge bus lines in Guthrie, Oklahoma," Ash stated, tilting the screen over so that Sam and Dean could see what he had found.

"Okay. Do me a favour, check Guthrie for any demonic signs, or omens, or anything like that," Sam asked, his eyes glued to the screen worriedly.

"You think the demon's there?" Ash asked as he looked up at them. Kim glanced to see Sam and Dean share a look, not answering his question.

"Just check it alright," Dean ordered, dismissing his question. Ash rolled his eye and went back to his computer making Sam and Dean wait impatiently. Kim was intrigued to what type of hunt got these guys so restless.

"No, sir, nothing. No demon," he announced and the boys sighed.

"All right, try something else for me. Search Guthrie for a house fire. It would be 1983, fire's origin would be a baby's nursery, night of the kid's six month birthday." Ash looked at him, startled as to why he was so specific about the information he was giving and Dean looked around to check for eavesdroppers. Jo, who was clearing a nearby table, started watching them. Kim watched as he diverted eye contact and moved closer to the computer. Kim tilted her head to look at Jo, who sent her a curious look that matched Kim's.

"Okay, now that is just weird, man. Why the hell would I be looking for that?" Ash asked on the verge of freaking out instructing Sam to pull out a beer and set it next to the laptop with a thunk on the bench.

"'Cause there's a PBR in it for ya," Sam offered Ash.

"Give me fifteen minutes."

Later on in the night, Kim was getting bored of sitting at the bar. She had lost interest in her beer bottle a while ago and was getting impatient, but she didn't know what of. There were only a few people left in the Roadhouse, including Sam and Dean. Dean sat down at the bar, opposite from Kim while Sam stayed with Ash at the table. Jo pressed a few buttons on the jukebox and the opening chords to REO Speedwagon's 'Can't Fight This Feeling' played.

Kim snickered at the music and her eyes unconsciously moved to Dean, who had a slightly uncomfortable look on his face; a fort snort left her lips and kept her head down. Jo carried a tray to the bar and set it down next to Kim, picking up her beer bottle and placing it on the tray. As she cleaned up, Jo started talking to Dean.

"What's that profile you've got Ash looking for?" she inquired cautiously, knowing it was a touchy subject but it didn't stop her form asking. Kim listened in form across the bar as best she could. She knew that its wasn't the smartest question to ask and she believed that Jo knew that just as well as she did.

"Hmm?" Dean hummed in acknowledgement. he knew what she asked, but he was giving her the polite option to retract her question and move on. Kim knew she wouldn't, she wasn't much for reading signs like that.

"Your mom died the same way, didn't she? A fire in Sam's nursery?" she asked casually. Kim groaned at her ignorance and blunt attitude. Kim softly caught Jo's attention and sent her a warning look, but her continued to proceed with the question.

"Look, Jo, it's kind of a family thing," Dean chuckled awkwardly, trying to avoid the conversation.

"I could help," Jo demurred, looking back at Kim again.

"I'm sure you could. But we've got to handle this one ourselves. Besides, if I ran off with you I think your mother might kill me," Dean said looking at Ellen. She was cleaning glasses behind the bar and looked directly at him. He smiled nervously, causing Kim to stifle a laugh.

"You're afraid of my mother?" Jo asked surprised.

"I think so," Dean nodded, gulping. Sam rushed towards the bar and stopped beside Jo.

"We have a match. We've gotta go," Sam announced, rushing to Dean.

"All right, Jo. See you later," Dean said getting up from his chair, sending a smile towards Jo. They were about to walk out the door when Ellen called them back.

"If you guys need any help, Kim here'd be happy to join," Ellen said pointing to Kim, who was hiding her head in her crossed arms, hanging her head between her crossed arms. Kim heard her name be spoken across the room and her head slowly lifted in regret, a low grumble in her throat.

"I'm sure the boys are fine by themselves," Kim hushed, her tone as a warning to Ellen to drop the subject. Kim was not in the mood to be dragged around the country with the Winchester brother, especially since they were so private about what they were researching; along with the Winchester brothers having the reputation of being a bad omen. People who trust them get themselves killed and dying wasn't something Kim had planned in her near future.

"Don't be like that Kim, they could use the help," Ellen argued.

"Jo can go, she wants to, don't ya Jo?"

"Jo's not trained like you, she'd be dead in a second. You want that Kim?" Ellen accused and Kim scoffed at her remark, not taking it to heart.

"Oh thanks, Mom," Jo muttered under her breath at her mother's comment. Kim grumbled under her breath and looked up at Sam and Dean, who seemed ready to leave. Dean looked down at Kim who was now facing the brothers.

"You're the chick who helped us gank that zombie, aren't you?" he asked and stood up from her stood once addressed. Kim gave him a sharp nod. "Yeah, I remember you. You're not half bad, kid."

"Damn, right. The smartest, bravest, and most professional hunter I've ever seen," Ellen boasted in Kim's favour. Jo was nodding along, agreeing about what her mother said after a nudge form Ellen,

"Dude, stop," Kim groaned running her hand over her face in embarrassment.

"Don't be so modest Kim," Jo started, smirking, enjoying the chance to embarrass her.

"Okay, Kim can come, but we need to get going," Sam said heading to the door. Dean nodded towards her before walking out, following his brother. Kim groaned and stood up, leaning on the bar, angry about Ellen's decision to add Kim into the conversation.

"Why did you do that? The one time I get the day off, I get forced to hunt with the brothers from Hell. I kept my head down and didn't speak for a reason, you know, because I don't want to hunt with them!" Kim spat, throwing her hands up in frustration.

"Hey, don't you take that tone with me, Missy. Now, you go after those boys and kill whatever it is they're hunting. You're a great hunter, you'll do fine," Ellen reassured, lightening the mood. Kim scowled at Ellen.

She found the brothers leaning on their car outside. Sam and Dean looked at her and she nodded, confirming she would join them.

"Looks like I'll be following you guys," Kim said about to hop into her car, but Dean said stopped her before she could.

"Okay fine, but you're driving with us. I don't trust you following me. You might ram Baby," he said getting in the car. She looked at Sam confused and questioned Dean's choice of words, but he gave her a look, telling her to just do it. Suspiciously, Kim got into their car and sat in the back and Dean started driving.

For a while, the ride was quite. Awkwardly quiet. Kim sighed, playing with her fingers and listening to Dean's music, which wasn't that bad. Everyone shuffled uncomfortably and Sam started looking around, trying to find something interesting to talk about, even though he and so many questions in his head to ask her, he believed it was inappropriate to ask in such an early stage of acquaintance but Dean didn't seemed fazed about asking and he would do anything to break the silence.

"Okay, so Ellen, Jo and you seem pretty close..." he said trailing on, not getting a response from Kim, because it wasn't really a question. He waited a bit more. "Are you like, Ellen's other daughter she didn't tell us about?" he asked slowly. Kim smiled at the thought, drifting into memories of when she was younger and helping Ellen around the bar.

"No, but we're family. I've known them since I was young," Kim announced, answering his question. Dean nodded, thinking of another question to ask.

"And... Ellen said you were the youngest hunter she knows. And I'm sure she's seen a lot of hunters so... How old are you?" he asked. Kim furrowed her eyebrows.

"Why do you want to know?" she asked defensively. Dean shook his head in surrender.

"Hey, just trying to start a conversation," he said. Kim nodded. She swore she heard Dean mutter "trust issues much" under his breath.

"How old are you guys?" she asked. Sam and Dean looked at each other.

"I'm twenty-six and Sammy's twenty-two." he told her, expecting her to admit her age.

"Huh," she said slowly. "I'm nineteen," she finished, even though she wasn't exactly nineteen, she felt like it was close enough to her birthday to announce herself as that age. She sighed, hoping the conversation would end there, but she knew it wouldn't.

"Wow, you're still a teenager?" Sam asked astonished looking back at her, "How does someone that young end up in a business like this?" Kim sighed, knowing this question would come up, she just didn't think it would be this early, since it's so personal. So quickly, she went to a sarcastic comment as a way to get out of answering.

"You know, pick up a knife and start swingin'." She joked with a smile, yet Sam was not convinced and he obviously missed the hint that she doesn't want to talk about it.

"Yeah but you must have started young to be—"

"I'm pretty sure not a lot of hunters have a good past, Sam. So why ask?" Kim warned, getting slightly defensive. Sam shut up immediately, his mouth closing as fast as a fly trap. Kim had a thing about sounding angrier than she actually was, but sometimes it came in handy. The ride became quiet and she immediately regretted what she said. Dean sighed and coughed awkwardly.

"Yeah, don't we know it," Dean said driving faster, eager to get to the job as quickly as possible.

The light was dimming and it was soon night and Dean seemed to be nodding off at the stirring wheel. Sam was asleep next to him in the front seat, snoring slightly but Kim was still wide awake and thank God she was, otherwise Dean would have sent the car flying into a tree.

The music was low, almost a whisper so that Sam could sleep. Dean lowered it subconsciously when he heard him snoring. Kim leaned over from the back of that her head was in between them.

"If you want to sleep, I can drive," Kim whispered trying not to wake Sam. Dean jumped, a small gasp escaped his lips making Kim chuckle. A frightened expression shot across his face and he let go of the stirring wheel which made the car swerve, losing control. He quickly grabbed the wheel again when he realised who it was and breathed heavily, lowering his panicked heart rate.

"I forgot you were there for a second," he yawned looking at her for a second, then switching to the road. "No, I'm awake now," he stammered, rubbing his eyes, referencing to her scaring the hell out of him. Kim nodded and sighed.

"Yeah, sure. Pull the car over and get some sleep. I'll drive from here," she said frankly.

"No no, you're not driving Baby," he argued, stroking the side of his car.

"You're falling asleep!" Kim whispered, still taking Sam into consideration.

"I'll... I'll just pull over and sleep. But you, you are not driving," he said sternly, pulling the car over as safely as possible. "And I suggest you shut you're pie hole, sit your ass back down and do the same," he demanded looking at her as a small smile tugged on his lips. He wouldn't tell her, but he was thankful that she kept him from falling asleep at the wheel.

Kim groaned before slumping back in her seat and shutting her eyes. She knew this decision would only make the awkward trip longer, even though she knew it was probably best if she got some sleep herself, if she could.

•※•

Kim awoke to a jolt of the car, making her jerk awake. She would have fallen off the edge of the seat if there wasn't a seat belt on her to hold her in place. Still half asleep, she rubbed her eyes so they adjusted to the light. Hearing the laugh of Dean in the front, she looked up and saw Dean staring down at her.

"Wake up, Kim. We're here," Dean laughed as Kim sat up. She shuffled uncomfortably, still in the stage between awake and asleep where she could hardly tell what was going on. She yawned and stretched yanking her muscles awake before she punched Dean in the arm as payback and got out the car. Dean frowned and rubbed his arm before getting out with Sam.

"So, where are we?" Kim asked looking a round the new neighbourhood. It was filled with normal people living their ordinary life, not knowing that there was something supernatural luring in their precious town.

"Oklahoma," Sam answered looking around, blocking his eyes from the morning sun.

"And, why are we here exactly?" she asked, not sure what the case she was helping them with was about. Sam quickly scurried to think of a lie but it was easier to just ignore the question.

Later on in the day, Sam and Dean went into a coffee shop to speak to some people about a guy named Andy. Kim was confused and curious about the case they were chasing so decided to ask some questions, which lead to her realising that the Winchester brothers don't answer questions well.

She believed she was entitled to know what was going on considering she was on the same hint as them, but Sam and Dean had a different idea. They left her in the dark, refusing to answer her questions about Andy and what the case was. Dean decided that Kim wasn't going to follow them into the coffee shop to ask questions because she was too curious. "You ask too many questions," were his words exactly.

Kim sat outside the coffee shop as Sam and Dean marched in wearing suites and ties, rereading one of her favourite books: 'To Kill A Mockingbird'. From a young age, Kim found herself collecting classic books such as that. She was always fascinated with those types of book, enjoying the literature, starting her collection at the age of ten. It was a habit she got from her father. He too collected books, but instead of classic novel he collected antique hunting books that Kim used to teach herself with when she was younger.

It was only minutes later that the brothers came marching back out of the coffee shop and to the bench Kim was hunched over on, nose first into her book. Sam and Dean stood in front of her, waiting from her head to lift from the page, but she never did. She didn't even acknowledged their presence because she was so entranced by the book she had read hundreds of times before.

Dean shifted on his feet, clearing his throat to grab her attention. Hearing his not-so-subtitling cough, Kim slowly, as if time could wait for her, started closing the book at an excruciatingly slow rate, still reading the words on the page as it shut. The pages finally touched and when Kim was no longer able to make out anymore words, she stuffed the book in her bag and stood up, looking at the boys.

"So what did you find out?" she asked, swinging the bag over her shoulder. Dean looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

"'To Kill A Mockingbird'?" Dean asked, "I never took you as the reading type." Kim rolled her eyes adjusting the bag on her back.

"Yeah well, there's a lot you don't know about me," she huffed.

"Right... Anyway, there were two people in there, Tracy and Weber. That's Tracy girl seemed to have some sort of relationship with Andy," Dean paused for a moment. "Weber seemed to like him too, but they said they don't see much of Andy, but if we were to find home, he'd be in Orchard Street. So that's where we're going. We also gotta be looking for a van with a barbarian queen painted on the side," Dean said lowly, looking around for street signs.

"Oh, so it's 'we' now?" Kim joked, heading towards the sign with 'Orchard Street' written on it. Sam laughed and jogged after Kim who had turned the corner, her eyes scanning for a van with a barbarian queen painted on it and it wasn't hard to miss. "Found it," she said casually, pointing to the van. Dean half smiled to himself before bursting into a huffed laughter, causing Sam and Kim to stare at him

"I'm sorry, I'm starting to like this dude. That van is sweet." Dean looked at Sam who was giving off a strange look and Kim walked off to look in the van to see if he was there. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Sam said looking away, as if everything was fine.

"Sam, you look like you're sucking on a lemon, what's going on?"

"This Andrew Gallagher, he's the second guy like this we've found, Dean. A demon came to them when they were kids, now they're killing people," Sam sighed.

"We don't know what Andrew Gallagher is, all right? He could be innocent," Dean stated. Sam looked around to see that Kim had started walking towards the van.

"My visions haven't been wrong yet," he announced. Unknowingly to the brothers, Kim heard what Sam had said. She stopped walking and questioned her hearing.

"Visions?" she whispered to herself, the two boys walking ahead of her. Kim shook her head indecisively and convinced herself that she heard him wrong. She began to question her importance to the case, and if they weren't going to tell her about the case, she wondered why she was there. It was blankly obvious that neither of them trusted her–nor did she trust them–and she was only excepted to join the case to shut Ellen up. She would much rather be working her own case instead of following the Winchester brother around like an annoyed child.

"What's your point?" Dean questioned Sam.

"My point is, I'm one of them," Sam said, not wanting to admit it.

"No, you're not," Dean rolled his eyes.

"Dean, the demon said he had plans for me and children like me."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, maybe this is his plan, maybe we're all a bunch of psychic freaks, maybe we're all supposed to be—"

"What, killers?"

"Yeah."

"So the demon wants you out there killing with your minds, is that it? Come on, give me a break. You're not a murderer, Sam! You don't have it in your bones."

"No? Last I checked, I kill all kinds of things."

"Those things were asking for it. There's a difference!" Dean said defensively, although he wasn't defending himself, quickly shutting his mouth when he noticed Kim had walked back towards them. She put one hand on her hip and faced them, using her other hand to block out the sun.

"He's not there," she informed them blankly, looking around to see if he was in the area. Sam looked around too and it didn't take long for him to spot the culprit.

"Got him," Sam pointed. A woman in a second-story window waved to Andy as he walked down the sidewalk below and he blew her a kiss as he walked away. He then greeted a man on the street, who smiled at him and handed Andy his coffee. Kim watched him, confused to why they were looking for someone who seemed to be a friend to everyone in the town. Another man was there which Sam spotted.

"That's him. That older guy, that's him, that's the shooter," Sam told them, watching the other man as he walked away and Kim listened and scrunched up her face, very confused to what was happening.

"All right, you keep on him, I'll stick with Andy. Go," Dean ordered running back to his car to follow Andy who was now in his van, and Sam walked off and followed the man who talked to Andy, 'the shooter' as Sam called him, leaving Kim alone in the street as the boys walked off in different directions.

"Wait! What?" Kim yelled after them, not knowing what the hell either of them were talking about. She groaned and jogged after Dean who was about to start his car. Dean looked at her running towards him and groaned as he waited for her.

"I keep forgetting you're here," he admitted lowly as she opened the door and let herself in, buckling the seat belt. Kim locked eyes with Dean who had a blank expression on his face, as did she.

"Thanks, I've never felt more loved in my life," she drawled dryly as he drove off, chasing after Andy. "This is why I work alone," she reminded herself.

Slowly, Dean tailed the van hoping to look as nonchalant as possible. They had been driving for only a few minutes when Andy stopped his car in the middle of the road and hopped out, causing Dean to stop right behind him. He grabbed his gun from the seat in between Kim and himself and hid it in his jacket. Dean rolled down the window as Andy walked over to the Impala.

"Hey," Andy greeted kindly, leaning his hands on the door to get a better view inside.

"Hey, hey," Dean nodded back, tightening the grip on his gun. Kim watched suspiciously from the other seat.

"This is a cheery ride." Dean smiled at Andy's comment and stroked his car again.

"Yeah, thanks."

"Man, the '67? Impala's best year if you ask me," Dean decided that Andy wasn't dangerous and put his gun in his inner pocket. "This is a serious classic," Andy awed, caressing the car.

"Yeah. You know, I just rebuilt her, too."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, can't let a car like this one go," Dean said smiling, looking at Kim who just nodded along, not taking her eyes off Andy.

"Damn straight. Hey... can I have it?" Andy asked nonchalantly. Kim's eyes widened at how forward his request was, expecting a quick and angry espouse from Dean.

"Sure man," Dean agreed, still smiling as he got out of the car. Kim looked at him as if he had just been shot.

"What? No!" Kim yelled, refusing to get out of the car. She looked at Andy with a horrified expression on her face while he looked at her with a world full of frightened confusion on his face.

"No?" Andy was shocked at her refusal to do what he had asked.

"Of course not you idiot!" Kim scolded sarcastically, staying firmly seated in the car. She was about to continue arguing when she was interrupted by a throbbing pressure in her head, making it feel as if her head was going to explode. Her hands automatically flew to the pained area, her eyes squinting shut due to the pain. Struggling to speak, she opened her mouth and eyes, her vision immediately blurred. She needed to scream, but no noise escaped her lips. It was impossible to breath. It struck again, not just in her head but in her stomach, making it feel as if someone had poured salt into an open wound and then stabbed her gut with a knife.

Her eyes rolled back in agony, getting hotter, sweat running down her forehead, neck and palms. It felt as if she was burning up from the inside out, so at an attempt to cool herself down, she rolled out of Dean's car and onto the road. Dean watched as Andy drove away with his car and then switched to Kim, who was rolling around on the ground feeling as if acid was being poured down her throat.

Dean snapped out of his trance and keeled down to help Kim. He watched as she screamed, sweated and clutched herself in agonising pain. Dean quickly went to help her, but she squirmed away, yelling at him not to touch her. He jumped back, unable to help as she screamed out her lungs and breathed in cold air. Dean pulled out the gun from his jacket pocket and aimed it at Kim as she cried in pain, not knowing what was wrong with her or if she was a danger to him, being the fact that the only started working together a night ago. With the gun firmly in his hands, he watched, unable to do anything to help and at that moment, Kim wished he had pulled the trigger.


	6. Chapter Four

Kim gasped for air, feeling the bumpy road underneath her skin. She shot up, taking a satisfying breath in, sitting on the road as her eyes searched her surroundings after her vision cleared. Her eyes landed on Dean, her glance traced up his legs to see him forcing a gun forward, coached and aimed at Kim's head. His expression was deadly stern but she made no effort to flinch at the sight of the gun. She looked emotionless as she stared down its barrel, as if he could pull the trigger at any moment without a second thought and she wouldn't care.

Panting heavily, she slowly stood up, the gun following her as she moved, unfazed with its presence. Looking up, she placed her hands on her knees as she breathed, watching as Andy drove away with the Impala.

Dean looked down at Kim and threw her a questioning look as she wiped the dripping sweat off of her forehead. Slowly, he uncocked the gun and placed it back in his inner pocket, eyeing her cautiously.

"You mind explaining what that was?" Dean asked, but it was more of an order, but similar to what Sam did to her, Kim ignored his question.

"Do you mind explaining why you let him take the car?" she asked raising an eyebrow, causing Dean to shut up as he had no explanation to give her and they both knew that their questions weren't getting answered.

"Well, I guess we better start walking," she huffed, walking back the way they came, soon hearing Dean's footsteps behind her.

The walk was quiet. Dean–although still curious–dropped the question, leaving them to walk in silence. Only a few minutes into the walk, Dean got a call from Sam saying he saw Andy driving the Impala.

"I know! He just sort of, asked for it and I let him take it! It was mind control!" Dean yelled into the phone. Kim was quite a bit in front of him, but she was still able to listen in on the conversation and she could faintly make out Dean whispering about how it didn't effect her. He also muttered something about the 'attack' that left her convulsing on the road.

•※•

Back in town, Kim and Dean met up with Sam who was sulking, head in hands, sitting on the pavement as the body of Dr. Jenning's, the man Sam was following, was zipped up in a black bag and placed in an ambulance.

"I kept him out of the gun store. I thought he was okay. I thought he was past it, at least... I should've-," Sam grumbled to Kim who was sitting next to him on the side walk, her legs bent and open as she hung her head, listening to Sam.

There wasn't an aspects of the case that didn't confuse Kim. They had to get Andy for some reason and she had no idea what Dr. Jenning's has to do with anything. Dean was excusing his willingness to give up his car as Andy's so-called 'mind-controlling abilities'. She had been raised to believe in creatures she had never heard of, but Kim believed that she had to draw the line somewhere.

After the ambulance drove away, the three of them strolled the streets awkwardly wondering what to do next. Kim had no input on the decision, considering she had no idea why she was there in the first place when she could be enjoying her first free day in a couple of long months. The brothers had nothing to say as the wandered when Dean saw his precious car parked out on the street, unscratched and unharmed. With glee, Dean ran up to the Impala and laughed with joy, glad to see his car again after once fearing he never would.

"Thank god!" Dean cheered in relief. "Oh, I'm sorry, Baby. I'll never leave you again. Well, at least he left the keys in it."

"Yeah. Real Samaritan, this guy," Sam rolled his eyes sarcastically, looking at the car that was left alone on the side of the street.

"Well, it looks like he can't work his mojo just by twitching his nose, he's gotta use verbal commands," Dean stated, forgetting Kim was there.

"The Doctor had just gotten off his cell phone when he stepped in front of that bus. Andy must have called him or something." Puzzled, Kim stopped in her tracks and pondered about what they were saying, but nothing really added up without an explanation.

"Hold on a freaking minute," she held her hands out, stopping them. "If you want me to follow you have to catch me up." Kim crossed her arms with a determined look on her face. Dean looked around, trying to look casually as he thought of an answer before hesitating to speak.

"Fine, but you have to tell us what the hell happened to you before," Dean bargained. Kim squinted her eyes before nodding firmly, confirming the deal. It took a while for one of the boys to say something, but eventually Sam started talking.

"Okay, so... what are your questions?" he asked.

"Well, for starters I would like to know why we're chasing Andy? What is he? And what up with this 'mind-control'?" Kim asked sternly, refusing to be ignored.

"Well, I guess you're in this now, huh?" Dean's voice was husky and rough. "We believe certain people are getting abilities. They're all different types of powers and we have no idea how they got them," Dean replied with a sarcastic smile. Kim looked at him in disbelief, though she had no right to, considering her profession.

"Okay..." Kim wondered, still trying to get her head around the fact that either there is a new race of humans that have the potential to use supernatural abilities, or Sam and Dean were going crazy. "But he doesn't seem to be using them to harm people," she shrugged.

"Andy ordered Mr. Jennings to walk in front of that bus," Sam stated, visibly uncomfortable.

"But how do you know Andy was targeting him?" she asked again. Sam looked at Dean, who nodded before turning back to Kim.

"Well, this may be hard to explain but... I have an ability too," Sam explained awkwardly to her, trying to sound as well-adjusted as he could, but to their surprise, Kim didn't seem as horrified as they had thought she would be, "And I saw him in my vision." She just froze. Every fiber in her body was disturbed by the fact that if it wasn't Sam, she would have hunted him. Her mind urged her to keep a closer eye on him because out of experience being a hunter, anything with powers uses it for evil rather than good.

"I don't really know how to respond to that," Kim stated sternly, her face frozen. Sam and Dean shared a look.

"I, uh... don't exactly know how I got it, but I get visions. I see people's death and they're normally about others with abilities," Sam explained carefully, not wanting to freak out Kim as she was already tense.

"That's not nightmare-inducing at all," Kim laughed awkwardly, soothing her tensions.

"You don't seem to be freaking out that much..." Sam stated, scrunching up his face slightly in awkward hope. Kim rolled her eyes at him and gave a cynical laugh.

"Freaking out on the inside," Kim's ranted quickly, her hands flew up to massage her temples in attempts to minimise her growing headache.

"So, what happened back on the road with you?" Dean asked, now unamused and determined for answers. Kim slowly dropped her hands form her head and huffed drily.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it," she hushed, avoiding the question, not trusting them enough to explain.

"What? No, that wasn't the deal. You said you'd tell us," Dean growled, stepping forward threateningly.

"Well, I lied. Get used to it. That's what we do," Kim spat back, refusing to tell them information that she honestly didn't even have herself. The question was rather personal and she never really intend to answer it; in fact she believed it was an unfair deal. She was simply asking about a case, whether it being a personal case or not, her question was strictly so that she could understand what was happening. Their question had nothing to do with the case and therefore she didn't feel the need to answer.

"If we're working together, you have to trust us," Sam said smoothly and Kim rolled her eyes.

"Is that why you kept me in the dark this whole time about the case?" she scoffed. Sam sighed softly at her. His soft face fell into a slightly disappointed expression; but Kim had multiple reasons not to tell them.

Kim had never been raised to trust anyone, especially someone new. Their curiosity about her personal life was an off putting quality she saw in them and made her trust them less. Secondly, she barley had a clue herself of what the hell was happening to her so she surely wouldn't be able to explain it to them in a way that justify's her problem and lastly, she truly saw no point in telling them. Kim was brilliant at research, she loved doing it and she strongly believed that if she hadn't found an answer to her problem, they definitely wouldn't.

"Look, I just don't see the point in telling you, okay? You can't help me so what's the point?" she shrugged, looking at at them. Technically, it wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the main reason she didn't tell them either. She didn't trust them just as Dean said he didn't trust her.

"Kim, you don't know that we can't help unless you tell us about it," Sam replied, and she saw a determination in both of their eyes that suggested that they weren't going to drop the subject.

"Honestly, it's just wave after wave of excruciating pain and believe me when I say that my descriptions doesn't give it justice. It hurts like a bitch," she claimed, her tone slightly shaky but she was quick to fix her quake.

"Looked like a bitch, too," Dean said under his breath, not really expecting anyone to hear him.

"You gonna help me now?" she questioned, raining an eyebrow to see what they came up with.

Dean looked at her confused, not sure what could be wrong with her. He had never heard of anything like what she described. He listened to Kim's tone while she described what she felt, as if she was being tortured at the thought of the pain she experienced but her posture shifted so quickly after she told them that it was difficult to detect.

"Do you think it could be something... Not supernatural? You know, like maybe a diagnosable muscle spasm?" Sam commented, thinking about what she had been going through after concluding that he had never seen anything like that in his hunting life. Dean's mouth turned up into a snarky smile as he pointed to her.

"See, there you go. It's probably not even anything supernatural. It could just be a diagnosable disease," Dean chirped with a fake smile written on his face. Kim scoffed, ungrateful at Dean's sarcastic behaviour. She didn't believe she had a 'disease' as Sam had suggested, and she certainly didn't think Dean would act as contumelious as he was.

"Ha, ha," Kim laughed drily, sending Dean a piercing glare. His smile dropped as well as his arm, realising he may have crossed the line with Kim and broken the tiny amount of trust she had given him. "Let's just focus on the case, Okay? I'll figure it out myself." Dean nodded in agreement, getting back to the case was the best way to break the awkwardness.

"I just don't know if he's our guy, Sam," Dean stated, turning his back to Kim. Andy may have mind-controlled him into giving away his Impala, but he didn't believe he had the guts to murder. Sam looked at Dean in disbelief.

"Dean, you had O.J. convicted before he got out of his white Bronco and you have doubts about this?" Sam complained. Kim leaned against the car, waiting for them to decide what to do next.

"He just doesn't seem like the stone-cold killer type, that's all. You know," Dean argued with Sam. "And O.J. was guilty."

"So, how are we going to track this guy down?" Sam asked. Dean stopped to think for a moment, before he looked up to Sam with a sly smile.

"Not a problem."

•※•

Sam, Dean, and Kim walked up to Andy's van and swung open the back doors of the vehicle to search for anything that could prove Andy guilty, but the only thing they found was a backseat filled with pillows, a large bong, a hanging disco ball, several books and a mural of a tiger painted on an inner wall of the van. Dean laughed at the sight of the alleged killer as he picked up the bong.

"Oh, oh, come on. This is... this is magnificent, that's what this is. Not exactly a serial killer's lair, though. There's no... clown paintings on the walls or scissors stuck in victims' photos. I like the tiger," he admired, scratching his chin.

Sam scrunched up his face as he picked up a heavy book and flicked through it.

"Hegel, Kant, Wittgenstein?" Kim's interest peaked as Sam spoke of the famous philosophers. He held up their books to show them the titles.

"This guy's into philosophy?" Kim pondered aloud as Sam set the book aside.

"Yeah, and uh, and Moby Dick's bong." Dean held the bong in his hands before excitedly smiling at Kim, who looked at him with a smirk.

Later that day, Sam, Dean and Kim were sitting in the Impala. Dean was eating something wrapped in greasy foil while Kim read the stacks of papers held together by a measly paper clip in the backseat while Sam did the same in the front. Dean stuck his arm on the car windowsill and threw the empty foil over his shoulder. The foil hit Kim's face and fell onto her lap. "Dude, the hell?" She glared at Dean, grabbing the waste and flicking it back at Dean.

"Ugh. You know, one day I'd love to just sit down and eat something I didn't have to microwave at a minimart." Dean wiped the rest of the grease onto his jeans.

"What I don't get is the motive. I mean, the Doctor was squeaky clean, why would Andy waste him?" Sam questioned, looking through the files. "Have you found anything on Andy, Kim?"

"No, he seems just like any other, non-sociopath human," Kim finished, also flicking through the papers to see if there was anything she missed.

"If it is Andy," Dean added, not looking at anyone. Sam gave him a dull look that expressed 'are you serious?'

"Dude, enough," Sam sighed, returning to his work.

"What?" Dean asked defensively, shoving his shoulders and scrunching his face. Sam stared at him again, the same expression settled his face, not believing his brother could be so blind.

"The doctor was mind-controlled in front of a bus. Andy just happens to have the power of mind control. You do the math." The evidence was all there and Sam was unable to look any further, unlike Dean and Kim who didn't believe it was Andy.

"Sorry, Sam. I'm with Dean on this one," she said, nudging Dean's arm. She threw the stack of papers to the side of her lazily, accidentally splattering out the papers over the seat and onto the floor. "I just don't think the guy's got it in him, that's all."

"Well, how the hell would you two know? I mean, why are you bending over backward defending him?" Sam argued, groaning at Kim and Dean who seemed to be ganging up on him.

"'Cause you're not right about this," Dean stated.

"About Andy?" Sam almost laughed. As the words left his lip, Andy suddenly appeared at Sam's open window and hit the roof of the car, causing Sam to jump in his seat and all three heads to sharply look towards him. Andy rested one arm on the window ledge as he pointed to the three of them in the car, his eyes not as confident as his actions. Kim narrowed her eyes at Andy, who seemed nervously confident. His voice was shaky with a strong undertone, but his hand quivered as he pointed to the three intimidating people staring at him.

"Hey! You think I haven't seen you three? Why are you following me?" he demanded, his eyes switching between the three of them, unsure of who was more threatening. His eyes flickered on Kim a little longer as he remembered her ability to go against what he said. The last sentence reverberated strangely, stunning Dean and Kim. Sam, who didn't notice the echo, took a deep breath before replying.

"We're lawyers," Sam replied calmly, adding a quick smile at the end, trying to convince him that they weren't threats, but Andy didn't believe him. No matter how convincing Sam's lying was, Andy trusted his instincts. "See, a relative of yours has passed aw–"

"Tell me the truth," his demanding voice echoed throughout the car.

Kim tilted her head at Andy, "We are–"

"We hunt demons," Dean blurted quickly and without thinking, staring into Andy's eyes. Sam and Kim sent an explainable appalled look to Dean, kind of mortified by what he announced.

"Dean!" Kim interrupted, not believing he just broke the number one hunter rule, to do what they do and keep their mouths shut.

"Demons and spirits. Things your worst nightmares wouldn't even touch. Sam here, he's my brother. That's Kim," Dean pointed toward Kim with his thumb. "I don't really trust her that much," Dean continued, ignoring the growls and warnings from Kim and Sam.

"Dean, shut up!" Kim scolded, trying her best to smack some sense into him and make him shut his mouth. She was taken aback when he flat out admitted he didn't trust her, although considering his actions towards her through the day, she supposed she should have expected it. Along with the fact that she didn't trust him either.

"I'm trying," Dean growled through his teeth before going back to spilling his guts to Andy. "He's psychic. Kind of like you. Well, not really like you, but see, he thinks you're a murderer, and he's afraid that he's going to become one himself, 'cause you're all part of something that's terrible. And I hope to hell that he's wrong, but I'm starting to get a little scared that he might be right," Dean ended, taking a long breath after he blurted out all the information he held in his brain about the case. Andy stared at him with an astonished and confused look mixed on his face as he stared at the three.

"Okay, you know what? Just leave me alone," he pushed, urging them to leave. Dean shuffled uncomfortably in his seat before nodding.

"Okay," Dean cringed, holding his head in his hands, realising what he admitted to.

"Alright?" Andy turned away from the car and walked in the opposite direction, but Sam and Kim stepped out if the car to chase after him. Hearing the footsteps behind him, Andy pivoted around to see Sam and Kim following him and sighed angrily.

"What are you doing? Look, I–I said leave me alone. All right?" Sam shook his head. "Get out of here, just start driving and never stop," he quivered. He flailed his arms to the horizon behind them, gesturing for them to leave. Expecting them to listen to him, he turned around and started walking again.

"Doesn't seem to work on me, Andy," Sam sighed, causing Andy to sharply twist around and stare at him, a stupefied expression spread across his face. Dean got out of the car and followed after them.

"Me either," Kim smirked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What?" That's was the only thing he could say once he knew if they could resist him, he had no power over them and his once slightly confident behaviour dwindled. Andy was petrified as he stared into the eyes of people physically stronger than him as they stalked towards him, feeling quite intimidated. He shuffled backward, skidding his shoes along the hard road.

Sam studied Andy's confused expression as Sam circled him.

"You can make people do things, can't you? You can tell them what to think," Sam integrated, although he already knew the answer. Before Dean got too close, Kim held up her hand, warning him to stay back. Dean stopped and gave Kim a single nod.

"That–that's crazy," Andy nervously laughed taking a step back, unknowingly getting closer to a dead end.

"It all started about a year ago, didn't it? After you turned twenty-two. Little stuff at first, and then you got better at controlling it," Sam continued, taunting him the with facts he knew. Sam looked down at him as Andy looked up.

"How do you know all this?" Andy asked, shocked that three strangers knew so much about him, more than any of his friends.

"Because the same thing happened to me, Andy. My mom died in a fire, too. I have abilities too. You see, we're connected, you and me." Sam's tone changed form taunting to tender.

"You know what? Just– just– just– just get out of here, all right?!" Andy shouted, becoming more freaked out the more Sam spoke.

"Why did you tell the doctor to walk in front of a bus?" Sam blurted, refusing to ignore the issue at hand anymore, taking another step forward.

"You can't just go ahead and accuse people, Sam-"

"What? You think there's another mind controller out there, or are you suggesting the doctor walked in front of the bus willingly?" His tone was dark and sharp, nothing like what she had heard come out of his mouth before. Kim swallowed a lump in her throat and sharply looked from Sam to Andy, her expression hardened at Sam's words.

"Did you kill him?" Kim asked.

"What?" Adam asked shocked, almost laughing at the thought of him killing someone. Sam's face twisted in pain and he took a step back to steady himself. Kim stepped cautiously towards Sam and reached out her arm.

"Are you okay?" she asked, concerned for Sam.

Suddenly, Sam stumbled and lost his balance. Kim rushed to catch him, but his dead weight caused her to collapse with him. They both fell to the ground as Dean rushed over to them. Kim felt the sharp rocks and stones from the road dig into her knees as she put all her weight on them.

Kim watched with an unsettled expression as Sam clutched his head and winced in pain as he lay on the asphalt. Dean looked down at his brother, a strongly concerned expression shot across his face. Sam gasped for air, his back straightening as he sat up.

"What? What was it?" Dean asked before he grabbed Sam's arm and pulled him up. Sam looked around while holding his head, still nauseous. He looked at Kim before staring at Andy with a disgusted look on his face.

"A woman. She's going to burn alive," Sam panted, looking at Dean.

"What?" Kim asked, utterly shocked.

"What else did you get?" Dean asked, ignoring the cried of confusion coming from both Kim and Andy.

"A gas station. She going to kill herself," Sam blurted, scrunching his face and squeezing his eyes shut at an attempt to get his full vision back. "She gets triggered by a phone call," he spat at Andy.

"What does he mean, going to? What is he–what is–" Andy stuttered, but was interrupted by an annoyed Dean.

"Shut up!" Dean shouted warningly at him as he held onto his unstable brother who was still trying to get small flashes of the flames burning in front of his eyes. "When?" he continued.

"I don't know," he winced when he finally got his breath back. Dean stared at Andy in disgust and revolt. "But as long as we kept an eye on the son of a bitch, he can't do anything."

"I didn't hurt anybody!" he shouted in his defence. Kim stood, left in a state of confusion. She had never actually seen Sam have a vision before, as it was quite intense.

"Yeah, not yet," Sam growled.

As the words left his mouth, a fire engine roared past them. They all turned to look at the vehicle as it sped off into the distance.

"Go," Sam told Dean. Kim decided to stay with Sam since Andy couldn't control her either. Dean got into his car and drove after the fire engine. Andy went to take a step around Sam but he held his arm out, causing him to bump into it. "Not you, you're staying with me," Sam looked around and saw Kim standing there, shocked. "And Kim," he looked at her for a minute. "You believe me now?"

Andy and Sam talked for a few minutes while Kim struggled to wrap her head around the fact that the two people beside her were not fully human. It was a concept she was willing to except, they didn't seem like they were hurting anyone, she just needed time to adjust. She was not afraid of them, not in any sort, but her mind struggled to except it.

A few minutes later Sam got a call from Dean saying that the woman Sam had a vision about was dead and she did burn alive by drenching herself in petrol and setting herself alight.

"Dean said he couldn't find anything, but he's going to keep looking," Sam told Kim, shutting his flip phone. He walked over to Andy who was sitting in an abandoned truck and the two of them steeled now confident that they didn't have a murderer in their midst.

"So... you get premonitions of people about to die?" Andy asked as Sam sat on a tree stump next to him. Kim strolled over to them and sat down next to Andy wanting to listen into the convocation. Sam laughed and nods. "That's impossible," Andy chuckled.

"A lot of people would say the same thing about what you can do."

"Yeah but... death visions?" Andy asked unable to comprehend seeing into the future.

"Yeah," Sam replied.

"Dude, that sucks. I mean, like, when I got the mind control thing? It was a gift, you know, it was–it was like I won the Lotto," Andy sighed.

"Andy, you could have, literally, whatever you want, but... you still live in a van," Kim addressed.

"I mean, I–I got everything I need," he explained. Kim smiled at his simple and genuine answer. It was things like that Kim wished she could get back. "What about you? What can you do?" Andy asked. Kim looked up at him before pursing her lips.

"Nothing," she said simply. "I don't have a power." Andy shuffled uncomfortably.

"Then why can you resist the mind control?" he asked and Kim simply shrugged.

"I seriously have no idea."

"So you're really not a killer, huh?" Sam replied making Andy laugh.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you!" Andy smiled, laughing as he spoke.

"Good," Sam nodded in relief, "Means there's hope for the both of us," Sam pondered as he lifted his head and looked into the distance. Kim turned to Andy who was looking at his thumbs.

"Do you know Tracy and Weber from the coffee shop not far from here?" Sam asked curiously, not exactly sure why she asked. "It's just, they sure seemed to know you." Andy's head shot up at the mention of their names.

"Yeah," Andy smiled. "Tracy and I... sort of had a thing. That ended a while ago, but Weber showed up a few months ago acting like he knew me. Like we'd been friends for years." Kim nodded along, yet didn't respond.

Dean rolled up in the Impala a few minutes later and hopped out the car, the door slamming behind him.

"The victim's names was Holly Becket, fourth-one, single." Dean said as he walked up to the truck. Sam turned to Andy who looked just as astonished as Sam and Kim.

"Who is she?" Sam questioned, turning to Andy.

"Never heard of her," he shrugged.

"Called Ash on the way over here, he came up with a little something. Apparently, Holly Becket gave birth when she was eighteen years old, back in 1983. Same day you were born, Andy," Dean announced staring at Andy, not believing that he didn't know her.

"Were you adopted, Andy?" Kim questioned bluntly.

"Well, yeah," Andy nodded not realising it could be a valuable piece of information.

"You were? And you neglected to mention that?" Dean growled finally getting the piece of information that was missing from the case. Everything was so new to all of them. Expressly Kim, who still couldn't wrap her head around the abilities thing.

"Never really came up. I mean, I, I never knew my birth parents, and, and like you said my adopted mom died when I was a baby–do you, do you think this Holly woman could actually be my m–" Andy wondered.

"I don't know. I tried to get a copy of the birth records, but they're hard copy only, sealed in the county office," Dean interrupted.

"Well, screw that."

•※•

Sam, Dean, and Kim marched through the police office where the files and birth records were stashed, as Andy talked to the policeman who was supposed to be guarding the room, convincing him to let them have access to the private files.

As they searched the room, through piles of papers and boxes of organised birth records, Sam found what they were looking for. He pulled out a box from the shelf and brushed of the layer off dust from the lid before lifting it off. He skimmed through the files, grabbed one and started reading it. It was unveiled that Holly was, in fact, Andy's birth mother and the doctor that was run over by the bus had delivered him, but to their surprise, they discovered that Andy had a twin brother.

Sam was pacing the room, file still in his hand as he walked, Dean leaned up against a wall opposite to Kim who had crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one leg, while Andy stared at a printer nearby, still trying to wrap his head around the 'evil twin' situation as he called it.

Dean looked up at a very distressed Andy who looked at if he was going to pass out. "Andy, how you doing? Still with us?" Dean spoke, his voice hinted with concern.

"Um... What's my brother's name?" Andy asked, still in shock. Kim watched as he groaned, feeling sorry for him, although she was ashamed to admit that she almost envied the situation he was in. Though she knew he was going through a difficult time discovering he had a twin brother who was killing people, she would do anything to get her sister back.

"Here," Sam interjected Kim's thoughts as he handed Andy a piece of paper from the file. "Uh, Ansen Weems. And he's got a local address." Sam gestured to a line on the piece of paper.

"Wha–he lives here?" Kim asked in shocked. She stood up straight and walked closer to Sam, looking over his shoulder at the information in his hands.

"Let's get a look at him. Got his picture coming off from the DMV right now," Dean strolled over the printer and pulled out the printed picture of Andy's twin, a look of surprise scrambled across his face.

Kim's eyebrow rose when she saw Dean's stunned reaction to the picture. When Sam saw, he and Dean shared a surprised look. Kim looked at the picture confused since everyone seemed to know who Ansen was apart from her.

"Hate to kick you while you're freaked. Take a look at that." Dean handed the papers to Andy. He looked at the copy of the driver's license printed on the paper then turned his head up to Sam, Dean, and Kim, staring at them in shock.

•※•

The four of them were sitting in the Impala, Dean driving and Sam riding shotgun while Andy and Kim sat in the back as they drove back into town. It was now dark outside and Kim was unable to take her eyes off the night sky and the glistening moon.

"All right, Andy. Tell us everything you know about Weber," Sam demanded, Kim's head shot up.

"Well, I mean, not much. I... Weber shows up one day, eight months ago? Acting like he's my best friend in the world. Kinda weird, like trying too hard, you know?" he answered, leaning his arms of the seat in front of him.

"You know, you could have saved me a whole lot of confusion if you just let me come to the coffee shop with you," she growled by Sam and Dean completely ignore her.

From the backseat, Kim noticed Sam cringing in pain and rubbing his eyes.

"Must have known you guys were twins. Why did he change his name? Why not just tell you the truth?" Dean asked, completely unaware of the discomfort Sam felt.

"No idea," Andy admitted, followed by a loud groan from Sam.

"Sam?" Kim asked as Sam clutched his head as another vision entered his mind.

"Sammy," Dean shouted, concerned, looking over at his little brother. He struggled with the pain and leapt for the door handle, struggling to open the door. Quickly, Dean pulled over and Sam opened the door and stick his head out, filling his lungs with the cold night air.

Kim and Dean ran out of the car and towards the panting Sam who was struggling to get his breath back. "Hey! Hey!" Dean yelled, shaking Sam's shoulders.

"The girl in the coffee shop, on a bridge," Sam panted, looking up to meet Kim's eyes.


	7. Chapter Five

Dean slammed on the breaks near the bridge, causing the car to swerve to an abrupt stop. Andy had told them about the only bridge in town and they sped off hoping that they would make it in time. From a distance, Kim could see a silhouette of a car pulled up on the bridge, the dim light of the moon and the weak street light outlined the vehicle creating an eerie sensation to creep down her spine.

Before the can could stop, Kim and Sam rushed out of the car and hurried to the trunk of the Impala. Dean and Andy came running around the side of the car, all in a hurry. "Dean, you should stay back," Sam told Dean as he opened the trunk, preparing all of the weapons.

"No argument there. Had my head screwed with enough for one day," Dean agreed as he stepped back, watching Kim pull out a gun and stashed it in her shoe. Kim felt for her iron knife in her waistband and another gun firmly in her hands. Cocking it, she felt a soft breeze graze over her hand, the cold night's air rushing through her hair. A chill slivered through her; she knew something would go wrong.

"I'm coming with you," she heard Andy demand as Dean grabbed a rifle and walked towards the edge of the hill, preparing himself.

"Andy, no," Sam sighed as he watched him clumsily gather weapons he had no idea how to use, knowing he would just make the situation worse.

"You're letting Kim go," he complained as Kim rolled her eyes and twirled her gun.

"Okay, let's get this out of the way early. Sam doesn't 'let' me to do anything. I'm a hunter just as he is and that's not my twin sitting in that van trying to kill everyone I know," Kim defended as she checked the ammunition in her gun, not bothering looking up.

"If it's Tracy out there... then I'm coming," he demanded unstably, his eyes filled with determination. Kim looked up from her gun, her eyes slowly grazed over a weakly commanding Andy. Her eyes flickered to Sam who was looking at her just the same. With a single, unsure nod, she had let Andy join the hunt.

The bridge was dimly lit as they stalked their way towards the car, content on not making a single noise. With a simple nod from Sam, they moved to surround the car that blended in with the night. Sam moved to the side of the car Weber was sitting while Kim moved towards Tracy's side. As she moved closer, the sound of sobbing echoed through the silence. Peeking her head around, she sneaked a look through the side window into the car to see Weber watching Tracy unbutton her shirt.

Kim waited for Sam to make his move before rushing Tracy out of the car. As Sam smashed in Weber's window, she flung open the door and grabbed Tracy forcefully. Pulling her out of the car she hear a gun cock. Sam aimed the gun at Weber's face, threatening to shoot. "Get out of the car! Now!" Sam demanded. Weber slowly put his hand up and turned to look at Sam, a cocky look in his eye.

"You really don't want to do this," he smirked irritably.

Kim had managed to drag Tracy out of the car before Weber could do anything. "Get out! Come on, let's go!" Kim demanded, helping the distraught woman out of the car. Tracy messily thanked Kim, tears streaming down her face. "Don't mention it," Kim panted, brushing off her gratitude, guiding her to the end of the bridge. Tracy turned her head when she heard Andy call out her name.

"Tracy, come here! Come here, it's okay," Andy blurted rapidly, taking Tracy out of Kim's arms and comforting her as she explained how she couldn't control herself. Without another second, Kim was moving back to Sam's side to help him deal with Weber.

"Don't move! Don't move!" Sam threatened, holding Weber to the ground with a gun to his head. Kim took the opportunity to stick a strip of duck tape over his mouth, stripping him from the ability to talk, although they could hear muffled threats escape.

It was when Kim had straightened herself up and dusted her hands on her top when she heard the sound of rapid footsteps from behind her and before she could do anything, Andy had ran and kicked Weber in the stomach, making him groan in pain as Andy continued to repeatedly kick him while he was down. It only took one sharp movement from Kim to send Andy flying off of Weber, but he was already dripping blood. "Andy, no! Let us handle this," Kim shouted. Sam pulled Weber roughly off the ground but he had started thrashing, sending a few kicks towards Sam who pushed him back onto the car.

"I'm gonna kill him!" Andy shouted, trying to resist the force of Kim who was still holding him back.

"No! I got this!" Sam argued back, hoping Kim could stop his outrage. Kim got the messages and grabbed Andy, and with one sharp and strict movement, she had Andy's back pressed against her chest, one hand trapped between his body and hers and the other held still by Kim. She had trapped Andy in a held restraint he couldn't get out of, but it was a sharp pain in the back of Kim's head that sent her fleeing to the ground.

Her grip of Andy loosened and her body fell limp; from the corner of his eye, Sam watched Kim fall.

"Kim!" Sam fretted at her closed eyes and limp body, she was knocked unconscious. His eyes moved to the figure above Kim to see a hypnotised Tracy standing over her with a heavy log tightly in her hands. With Sam distracted, Weber took the chance to punch Sam in the face, causing him to stumble, opening the orotundity for Tracy to hit Sam; he was sent tumbling.

It was then that Kim's eyes started to flutter open, a slight groan escaped her lips. She twisted on the floor at an attempt to pull herself up. Her vision was fazed and she the second her opened her eyes, a pounding headache entered her head. Slamming her eyes shut, she groaned in pain and moved to the next best option. Conjuring some energy, she tried to listen to the conversation between Andy and Weber, but her ears were ringing too. It was just then she realised how hard she had dropped. Ignoring the pain, she squinted her eyes open. "No!" she cried out, reaching her lips arm out towards Tracy who was standing on the edge of the bridge, about to jump.

"You're insane!" Andy growled, being the most threatening as he could be. Wincing, Kim rolled on the floor, reaching for the gun she hid in her jeans. As she rolled, her hand accidentally dragged through a puddle of cold crimson and whipped it on her pants as she reached for her gun in her waistband. She grabbed it firmly and held it in front of her face, a clear image of her blood covered hands and gun came into frame. Furrowing her brows, she looked closely and steady her aim but there was no clean shot straight for Weber's head, Andy was in the way.

"I've wanted to tell you for so long, bro. But he didn't let me. He said I had to wait until the time was—" Weber was convinced he was doing the right thing, but both Andy and Kim were confused by who he was talking about.

"Who?" Andy asked.

"The man with the yellow eyes," he stated seriously, viciously grabbing Kim's attention. She had known of such a demon for many years... She remembered her father talking about a demon with yellow eyes when she was younger, but he had only referred to him as Yellow-Eyes. A murderous demon, manipulative and cruel. She just remembered her father strictly telling her to never peruse him at will. Realistically, this would have never been a suitable option for her where she should have rolled and taken the shot; but Andy was stuck in the line of fire.

"What are you talking about?" Andy whispered forcefully. Kim noticed Sam's head rise to hear Weber talk about the demon that changed his life.

"He came to me. In my dream. He said I was special. He told me he's got big plans for me. Wait 'till you see what's in store, Andy, for both of us! See, he's the one who told me that I had a brother. A twin," Weber enthused.

Kim could feel her stomach turn with hatred as he spoke about Yellow-Eyes with such awe when she caught sight of movement in the distance. Kim prayed that it was Dean, preparing his rifle. Squinting her eyes, her vision began to straighten up and the sight of Dean preparing the gun aimed at Weber's head filtered through the bushes. A sigh of relief settled through Kim when she saw Weber turn to him, a knowing smirk on his face.

"I see you," he smirked, "Bye bye." Kim gasped painfully and reached for the gun aiming it straight for Weber but the line was blocked, she wasn't in any position to take the shot. She may have been in a bad position to shoot Weber, but Andy wasn't.

"Andy!" Kim called his name and he turned to look at her with fear in his eyes. Kim threw the gun into Andy's hands where he fumbled with it for a second, then turned to face Weber. Without a second thought, he pulled the trigger sent and the bullet flew straight into his brother. Weber cried in pain, a strip of blood poured down his back as he turned furiously towards his twin.

Kim watched as Andy froze with the gun in his hands, trembling. She struggled to her feet and rushed over to Andy, ripping the gun from his hand and held it tightly, shooting the last bullet through Weber's head.

Putting one hand on his shoulder and using the other to take the gun out of his hands. She looked at him and nodded in thanks before going to help Sam up from the ground.

•※•

The next morning, police crews had arrived on the scene. Andy was talking to three police officers, his stance unusually confident. Sam waited as a paramedic tending to his head, a small scratch from where he fell. Dean stood at his side along with Kim who insisted she was fine and refused to take any treatment.

"He shot himself. And you all saw it happen," Andy said sternly.

"Yeah, we did," the policeman murmured, manipulated by his words.

"Look at him. He's getting better at it," Sam smiled, Dean and Kim turning to look at him, slightly impressed. Andy watched as the policeman walked away, convinced with the story Andy manipulated for him. Slowly, Andy turned to the three of them and shuffled his way over to them, a lined smile on his face. He stopped in front of Tracy who was being tended to by the paramedics but looked at the floor when she ignored him. He looked at Kim for a second before turning back to the floor.

"What's up?" Kim asked lightly. Andy sighed miserably, his cheery attitude was absent as if it was never there.

"She won't talk to me, or even look at me," he sighed, his tone soaked in misery. "What—what am I supposed to do now?"

Dean looked over to Sam before quickly turning to Andy. "You be good, Andy. Or well be back," Dean threatened, only getting a nod back as a response. Kim sighed and walked up to Sam and Dean.

"Looks like I was right," Sam sighed as he walked away with Dean next to him, Kim following closely behind.

"About what?" Dean asked.

"Andy. He's a killer after all," Sam replied simply, losing hope with every word he spoke, like poison slipping from his tongue.

"No, he's a hero. He saved his girlfriend's life. He saved my life," Dean emphasised, refusing to believe Sam could be like that, making Sam focus on the positive.

"Bottom line, last night, he wasted somebody," Sam sighed. Kim furrowed her eyebrows, wondering what they were talking about; she hadn't known that they didn't see her fire the final bullet.

"Yeah, but he's not a foaming-at-the-mouth psycho. He was just—he was pushed into that."

"Weber was pushed too, in his own way. Max Miller was pushed. Hell, I was pushed by Jessica's death."

"What's your point, Sam?" Dean groaned, seeing he wasn't getting through his brothers thick head.

"Right circumstances, everyone's capable of murder. Everyone. You know, maybe that's what the demon's doing. Pushing us. Finding ways to break us." Sam insisted on being pessimistic, refusing to see the good in what happened last night.

"Sam, we don't know what the demon wants, okay? Quit worrying about it," Dean persisted.

"You know, I heard you before, Dean, when Andy made you tell the truth. You're just as scared of this as I am," Sam argued.

"That was mind control! I mean, it's like, that's like being roofied, man, that doesn't count," Dean demanded, making Kim scoff behind them.

"What?" Sam asked.

"No. I'm, I'm calling a do-over," Dean ordered.

"What are you, seven?" Kim laughed. The boys spun around to look at Kim, who was ranting behind them, arms crossed and a small smirk on her face.

"We keep forgetting you're here," Dean groaned looking at Sam, who knew she has just heard everything they just said before walking away back to the impala.

"Thanks, overwhelmed with feelings," she sassed, rolling her eyes.

"Doesn't matter. Look, we've just gotta keep doing what we're doing, find that evil son of a bitch and kill it," Dean ordered.

"By 'evil son of a bitch' do you mean Yellow-Eyes?" Kim asked, confirming what they were talking about. Sam and Dean looked at her, squinting her eyes as they wondered how they knew about they were talking about or what her relationship with him was. Sam shuddered his eyes at her, a glare she felt and switched her gaze over to him but he didn't move his glance. He had such a curious look at her, almost sceptically before slowly looking back to Dean.

"Yeah, I guess," Sam sighed, Kim nodded along before her cell rang, vibrating in her pocket.

"Hello? Ellen. What's up? Yeah, we'll be right there," Kim nodded. She looked at Sam and Dean who hopped in the car and started the long drive back to the Roadhouse.

•※•

Sam and Dean sat at the bar, Ellen and Kim stood behind it as Jo walked around the outside, waitressing. Ellen, looked at Jo, trying to find a way to signal her out of the room.

"Jo," Ellen said.

"Hmm?" she replied lazily.

"Go get us another case of beers," she said firmly. Jo groaned in response and refused to go, intrigued to hear what was going on, but Ellen insisted. Jo sent a little glare towards Kim, begging her to protest, but Kim averted eye contact and scratched her neck, making Jo march out of the room. Waiting for Jo to completely leave, Ellen turned to Kim and crossed her arms.

"So are you going to tell me about that last hunt of yours," Ellen demanded. Kim looked at Sam as she crossed her arms and fiddled with a necklace chain.

"Nah, not much to say," Kim shrugged as she shook her head. She never made much of an effort to talk to Ellen about things like this, she just preferred to keep it to herself just as she was taught as a child. It's hard as an orphaned eight year old to have strict emotional control but she had to learn and it almost became a crime to let a tear slip from her eye.

When school was rough her sister told her to suck it up and when her wounds were deep she'd tell Kim to rub some dirt in it. She wasn't someone Kim could go to for emotional support and she never had any one else to go to and by the time she had a family willing to listen, she had already learnt form her mistakes of oversharing. Despite the adversities, Kim knew her sister always wanted the best for her and in the profession they were in, being ruthless was the only way to stay alive.

So when Sarah died, Kim kept repeating her sisters voice in her mind and walked on, listening to her wise advise; she knew that's what Sarah would have wanted. When Kim moved in with Ellen, Sarah's voice never died.

"You always say there's nothing to talk about," Ellen argued, desperate for Kim to tell her something—anything at all.

"That's because there's nothing to talk about," Kim continued. Ellen sighed, not wanting to start an argument, she brushed it off but didn't forget about it and turned to Sam and Dean.

"I got this stuff from Ash. Andrew Gallagher's house burnt down on his six month birthday, just like your house. You think it was the demon? You think it went after the Gallagher family?" Ellen said knowing about the demon from John Winchester, an old friend of hers. Ellen knew about his obsession with killing the demon that murdered his wife and put his children in danger. He always made his way to the Roadhouse if he was close by.

"Yeah, we think so..." Sam replied, getting a reaction out of Dean.

"Sam—" Dean warned but was interrupted by Ellen.

"Why?"

"None of your business," Dean finished.

"You mind your tongue with me, boy. This isn't just your war, this is war. Now, something big and bad's coming and it's coming fast, and their side holds all the cards. Now, at best all we got is us. Together. No secrets or half-truths here," Ellen warned. Kim just scoffed at her speech. "Kim here never tells me anything. I'm not letting that happen with you two. You're not getting off that easy," Ellen continued. "What were you saying, Sam?"

"There are people out there, like Andy Gallagher, like me. And um, we all have some kind of ability," Sam started.

"Ability?" Ellen asked. Dean rolled his eyes, uncomfortably.

"Yeah. Psychic ability. Me, I have, um, I have visions. Premonitions. I don't know, it's different for everybody. The demon said he had plans for people like us," Sam mumbled awkwardly and Kim began to realise that Sam had not learnt his lesson from oversharing.

"What kind of plans?" Ellen asked, investing herself into the conversation.

"We don't really know for sure," Sam sighed.

"These people out there, these psychics. Are they dangerous?" Ellen worried.

"No. Not all of them," Dean blurted, thinking of Andy.

"But some are. Some are very dangerous," Sam finished, sending a glance to Dean.

"Okay, how many of them are we looking at?" Ellen asked.

"We've been able to track a clear pattern so far. They've all had house fires on the night of the kid's six month birthday," Dean stated.

"That's not true," Sam said.

"What?" Dean asked shocked.

"Andy's brother, Weber? Or Ansen Weems, whatever you wanna call him, Sam and I looked through his files, and there was no house fire. There was nothing out of the ordinary," Kim said, knowing what Sam was saying since they looked through the files together.

"Which breaks pattern. So if there're any others like him, there'd be nothing in the system. No way to track 'em all down," Sam continued.

"And so who knows how many of 'em are really out there?" Kim finished. Ellen listened, astonished.

"Jo!" Ellen called.

"Yeah?" Jo asked, sticking her head out from around the corner.

"You better break out the whisky instead," Ellen replied and none of them refused. After what they are going through and what they will be going through, they deserved a drink.

•※•

They spent the rest of the day talking until it was night and they grew tired. Dean skolled the last of his drink, feeling the familiar burn as it slid down his throat. Even Kim had a glass, but Ellen refused to give her any more than that. Kim rolled her eyes and finished the last of her first and last drink of the night that she had managed to spread over most of the day, only taking sips.

Dean looked to Kim who was now playing an arcade shooting game Jo had managed to convince her to play with her. Kim laughed slightly, a small smile speed across her face along with Jo. Kim huffed politely as she watched her failing score appear in the screen and put the fake gun down and lightly punched Jo in the arm for beating her.

"You just wait until you swap that for a real gun. I'll beat you then," Kim smirked waving her finger in the air. Dean checked the time and turned to Sam.

"We should head to Bobby's. We've gotta talk to him," Dean said, getting up and thanking Ellen. He was making his way to the door when he turned around and saw Kim high-fiving Jo, and although they had met each other barley a month ago, he had never heard Kim laugh so genuinely. Sam watched Dean's eyes and follows his gaze to Kim; he had also never seen her so honestly happy.

"Kim, we're leaving," Sam yelled out across the bar. Kim shot her head in his direction and saw that Dean was out of the bar already. She was surprised they even remember she was there, considering Dean's comments. One her way to the Roadhouse she was sure they were going to leave her behind, where she belonged, but to her surprise Sam had called her back.

"Yeah... yeah, I'm coming," she said, a weak smile appeared on her face. She was engulfed in a hug from Jo and Ellen then walked off after Sam. Walking outside, Kim saw Dean leaning on the Impala. "So, where are we going?" she asked, plotting her hand in her pockets. Dean got up and moved to the driver side car door and opened it, standing there for a second.

"To see a friend," he revealed before getting in the car along with Sam on the passenger's side. Her vision switched from them to her car, parked in the place she left it days go. Sam rolled down his window to ask what was wrong, and Kim lowered her head to the window looking straight at Dean.

"I'm driving my car," she proclaimed and without waiting for a response, she hopped in her own car, shoved the keys into the ignition and listen to her Jeep roar to life. She pressed her foot down on the accelerator and rolled forward, following Dean as they exited the Roadhouse parking lot.

•※•

They have been driving for a while now along a long road that seemed to be leading to nowhere, but she didn't mind. She was never the type of person to need someone with her all the time or became lonely when she was alone for a long amount of time. In fact, she preferred it; she enjoyed the silence. After all, it was what she was used to.

She followed the Impala onto a dirt road and into a car junk yard. Scrap metals were scattered around the large area of land, old cars were set up in uneven lines and in the middle of that stood a wooden house which looked like it had been abandoned years ago.

Dean parked his car outside and Kim did the same, hopping out of the car as they did. She followed them as they walked up to the old house and opened the door, letting themselves in. Kim lingered outside for a second as they perused into the house, observing the rugged interior that looked as if minimal to no effort was used to decorate the messy area before following after them.

"Bobby!" Dean called and only moments later an old man with a greying beard and a baseball cap on marched out holding a shotgun in his hands. Kim felt his eyes scan over her for a mere second before he turned to the boys, loosening his grip on his gun.

"Don't you boys knock?" Bobby growled, throwing the gun on the couch, relaxing a bit. He looked up at them, eyeing Kim. "Who's she?" he grouched, nodding towards Kim as if she couldn't hear him.

"Name's Kim," she said casually. He looked to the boys who nodded.

"Huh," he huffed, "Kim." His gaze was strong and unsettling, something Kim had seen in her many years of hunting alone. He extend his hand for her to shake and she did. "I'm Bobby," The gaze that was filled with silent suspicion and untrustworthy thoughts and Kim nodded uncomfortably, signifying that she had heard his name as clear as she knew the look on his face meant.

"Yeah, she's with us now," Sam nodded with a ghost of a smile causing Dean snapped his head around to him.

"She is?" Dean barked, staring at Sam as Kim shuffled on her feet placing her weight on one leg.

"She is," Sam affirmed. Kim shrugged along awkwardly, she could feel Bobby stare at her curiously, which she returned. Kim stopped moving and stood still, a blank expression on her face. Bobby rolled his eyes at the bickering of Sam and Dean and invited Kim further into the house while they stayed where they were, continuing to bicker.

"You hunt?" Bobby asked casually. Kim crossed her arms over her chest and nodded once, unsure if that was even a question for her to answer, it was pretty obvious.

"Yeah," she sighed simply.

"How long?" he questioned, attempting to keep the conversation going.

"Eight years now," she replied, looking up as she thought about her answer. Bobby seemed slightly shocked, squinting his eyes and scrunching his face in confusion.

"Eight? How old are you?" he asked. Kim scratched her head and looked into the distance uncomfortably, not sure why he was interested in such irrelevant things.

"I'm nineteen," Kim sighed, still keeping up the lie although she was technically eighteen.

"So you started when you were eleven, ten?" Bobby asked in shock, Kim nodded to confirm, not specifying what exact age. "Tough life," he sighed making Kim nod her head slightly in agreement.

After a small while, Dean and Sam decided to join them. Dean stood in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest as he stood next to Sam. Light shone in from the window behind them. It illuminated around the two, casting a dramatic shadow on the wooden floor.

"Bobby," Dean finally said. "Can we talk?"

Bobby looked at Kim and rolled his eyes at how dramatic they were before shuffling off with the two boys, leaving Kim in the room alone. Normally, Kim would be compelled to search the room, looking for anything suspicious or off about Bobby, but the desire to do so never grew in her. She didn't feel like it was necessary, but she decided to casually look anyway so she had something to do. She shuffled over to the desk and peeked through some papers. She peered around the wall and saw six or seven phones hung up on the wall, each labelled a different officer. FBI; CIA; FED; Kim realised Bobby Singer wasn't much of a physical hunter anymore, but instead more of one dedicated to research for others.

As Kim flicked through some papers on Bobby's desk, she suddenly dropped to the floor as her knees collapsed on her. She could feel a white hot pain travelling through her spine, moving through her body. She collapsed, bringing her knees to her chest and screamed in agony as the immense heat spread through her nerves, running down her arms and to the very tips of her fingers. She flexed all her muscles as an attempt to release some of the tension, but it only caused spasms. She kicked the desk next to her as she twisted on the floor, making some papers to fall onto of her. She couldn't breathe, her throat began to close up. She let out a cry of pain, clutching her chest.

She heard footsteps running into the room in a shuffled panic. She turned her head up, causing a massive discomfort in her neck, to face the three boys who had horrid and worried expressions on their face as they stared at the writhing girl on the floor as she screamed and convulsed.

Quickly, Dean ran up to her, wrapping his hands around Kim, struggling to keep her still. Kim was in too much pain to prevent him front grabbing her. His strong arms clung to her, only making Kim shuffle uncomfortably. His fingers gently landed upon her skin, but the second their skin's touched, Dean flung his head back in pain and attempted to remove himself from her but it was as if the pain had paralysed him. Kim gasped greedily for air and sighed in satisfaction as she released her pain, but Dean screamed and all eyes stared at him. Kim's breath slowed as she relaxed her muscles, feeling the grip that the pain had on her body release. Kim stared at Dean who was groaning in pain as her lungs began to fill with air again and her thoughts returned to her mind. Quickly, she removed his hand from her arm. He almost immediately felt relieved as the pain disappeared from his body.

As Dean began to regain function in his body, he looked up to Kim from his flopped position on the floor as he panted heavily. Kim grabbed onto Bobby's desk for support as she pulled herself up, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

"Don't look at me like that," she panted. "I know as much as you do." Kim walked over to Dean and held out a hand to help him up. He started at it for a second before pushing himself up, hands pressed against the floor for balance. Kim backed off as Dean stumbled towards Sam and Bobby, who were still staring in shock.

"What the hell was that?" Dean growled.

"Not fun, huh?" she huffed. "Yeah, try doing that for a year," she spat. All of them glared at her. "I didn't know that if he touched me it would... transfer to him!" Kim shouted, flailing her arms towards Dean. Sam stared at the floor, muttering something to himself under his breath. Kim sighed and pushed her hair out of her face in one quick motion. "Look, I understand if you don't want me here anymore," she finished, shuffling towards the door, she pushed past the three of them in silence.

"I may know someone who can help you," Bobby interjected. Kim stopped and turned to him, intrigued. "Her name's Pamela."


	8. Chapter Six

Kim waited outside Bobby's house, standing right outside his door; the tops of her shoes touching the wood of the door frame. She looked straight forward staring at nothing-in-particular as her thoughts occupied her brain. She was reluctant to enter the house, not wanting to answer the many questions she knew they had. Right now, all she wanted to do was be by herself.

Kim considered herself a respectable hunter, someone who was always prepared for the worst. She knew she could rely on herself to keep a tough mindset, at least that's what she was taught to do but as her thoughts got deeper and more depressing, the more questions kept arising, she began to lose hope in what she once learnt.

Although her car seemed like the most comfortably place for her to be at that moment, alone and secluded with no burning questions for her to answer, she knew that they boys had many unavoidable questions that would eventually catch up to her if she didn't face them now. She sighed and took a deep breath, opening the door and walked in. As she walked, she has no idea what to say to them or if she should even say anything at all. She knew they would ask questions, cause that's what hunters do. They get into people's personal lives and gather up their secrets and when they no longer need them, they use your life against them. So considering Kim barely had a clue who these men were or why they invited her to follow along, she didn't trust them and she wasn't going to easily.

She marched through the wooden door of Bobby's house and proceeded to the opening of the living room, where the three boys sat and waited. She knew questions were going to come the second her eyes met with Dean's—she saw they were filled with hesitant curiosity—making her regret going inside instead of turning around and heading to a bar with a fake ID that allowed her to be the legal age to get herself as drunk as she needed to drown her thoughts.

The second she saw Dean's eyes was the second she regretted ever walking through the front door. Everything became instantly overwhelming and she knew that they had questions for her she couldn't answer, even with the mere knowledge she had learnt from Pamela. She stood there with her head held high, naked an vulnerable as the three of them watched her. She despised the feeling, made her writhe in disgust, but there she was, willingly putting herself in a situation where vulnerability was all she felt.

The longer she stared at her the more uncomfortable she felt, feeling the disgust crawl up her legs and consume her whole as their judgemental eyes gazed upon her. She would never sleep in a house of a stranger she felt so uncomfortable with when she had the option of a nice secluded care outside, so without a word she turned on her heel and made her way towards her car, all while feeling their eyes bore into the back of her head.

The tension insider her kept rising, her mind never seemed to get a break from her constant thoughts. She quickly turned on some music from the car radio—not really minding what it was—and put it to low as she rested her head on the back of the car seat, silently expecting one of the brothers to march out after her; they didn't and she was glad that they hadn't.

The moonlight shone through her uncovered car window onto her face but she didn't mind. The soothing light was something most people would try and cover themselves from but she embraced it. It was the faultless things everyone found a fault in that she appreciated the most. Appreciation was something Kim was not an expert in expressing, so she found the little things and acknowledged them because they didn't need to told that they were cherished, she could respect them in silence. The small things everyone took for granted were things Kim was grateful to have because the everything else she had in her life seemed to leave her before she got a chance to enjoy them.

•※•

The morning air was cold, her breath turned to fog when she breathed out. Her eyes fluttered open as the soft sun shone through her window just as the moonlight did last night. Putting last night's mistake behind her, burning it deep down in the pits of her stomach, she walked back inside to see Sam and Bobby sitting at a circular table. Kim looked at them before walking in and plopping herself down next to Sam, who looked at her weirdly. They had not spoken since she had left to see Pamela the day before. Kim sighed and embraced the silence but she shuffled with her fingers awkwardly.

She was waiting for someone to say something, so she had an excuse to leave again but they stayed quiet. Kim licked her lips before grabbing a book from her bag. She moved to the couch, resting her side on the armrest and read her book. Opening to the page Kim left off, she started reading from the top of the page; feeling all eyes on her. She tried to read it, but the book was more of a symbol that warned people not to talk to her.

Sam looked at Kim as she sat down on the couch before looking at Bobby, giving him a weird look which he returned. Sam wanted to say something. He wanted to know what happened last night and why she was acting so weird that morning.

"Uh, Kim?" Sam asked softly, getting up out of his chair and walking over to her, crouching down to her level patronisingly. He was sympathetic towards her. He knew what it felt like to be out of place, an outcast who had a dominating attitude and unwillingness to speak. He didn't know of the anguish she had already encountered in her life and when she saw her young face, he mistook he for a child.

"What happened at Pamela's?" he asked softly. "You know you can talk to us," he sympathised. Kim's mouth stayed shut, her eyes never leaving the page. "You can trust us," he smiled softly, putting his hand on her knee, giving her a 'comforting' squeeze. Kim looked up from her page and stared at him. His large hand wrapped around most of her knee, making her feeling younger and smaller than she already was, she hate being patronised.

"Don't speak to me like I'm a kid. I may be younger than you, but I'm not a baby," she flicked his hand away from her and put her book down. Taken back, Sam got up and walked back to the table, surprised by her actions.

It didn't take long for Kim to realised how rude she sounded and immediately regretted her sudden childish reaction. It was almost an instinct now, that whenever someone spoke to her kindly or childlike, she would retaliate and seethe at them, especially another hunter. She became defensive easily when it came to the subject.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay?" she sighed getting up and walking over to the table slowly, not sounding very sincere "I don't like being treated like a child and now that I have my reputation I refuse to be treated any differently from any other hunter," she finished, sitting down at the table with a slump. "I didn't mean to be so rude." She really didn't. She didn't want to seem like an over-emotional, immature, impulsive bitch to Sam and Bobby.

Sam and Bobby gave her a sympathetic look as Dean marched through the door with a greasy paper bag in his hand. The aroma of sticky, oily food flew through the air and the sound of the paper bag bouncing as Dean waved it around in the air. Kim hadn't realised he had been out to get breakfast, instead she thought his absence was because he was still asleep.

"Who wants breakfast?" he said throwing the bags on the table for everyone to dig in. Bobby grabed out a burger as did Sam, Kim was the last to grab food out of the bag. Dean pulled out a burrito wrapped in foil and started eating. His eyes landed on Kim before quickly switching to Sam sensing the unspoken tension.

"What happened?" he asked with his mouth full. His eyes wandered from person to person as Kim sighed, knowing she's going to have to repeat herself.

"Don't worry about it," she replied. Dean was about to answer but Sam sent him a look telling him not to push it, both of them quickly learning she was not someone to repetitively annoy. The table was silent. Only the sound of ripping paper and tearing foil scratched at Kim's ears.

Sam just wanted to help. He felt that Kim and the Winchesters could have a healthy relationship in the future but in order to have a healthy relationship there needs to be trust and communication.

"What did you mean by your reputation?" Sam asked. Kim looked him weirdly and raise an eyebrow. Sam believed it was an easy question. If it was a reputation, many people must know the story.

"Why do you care?" she asked, taking another bite of her breakfast.

"Okay, look. You're gonna have to talk to us some time about stuff like this," Sam started. "It's not like telling us is going to change our opinion of you." Kim rolled her eyes at him. He though she didn't want to tell him because he would think of her differently, when in reality, Kim couldn't care less what they thought about her. They were strangers to her and their opinion was nothing more than that. Instead she cared about the fact being in the unknown was a powerless position for hunters and giving them some knowledge would effectively be giving them the upper hand in hunting or blackmail. Some thing were better left unsaid.

"It doesn't matter—"

"Just tell us," Bobby sighed. Everyone looked at Kim curiously as she swallowed a mouthful of food.

"Fine. When I was fifteenI killed some wendigoes. The end," she stated casually, taking another bite of her burger. Dean choked on his last bit of burrito. They looked at her surprised.

"Some wendigoes? As in more than one of those sons of bitches?" Dean asked in shock. Kim nodded, chewing her food.

"And you were fifteen?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," she nodded, not continuing the conversation. taking another bite, she looked up to see all three of them staring at her waiting for more. "I was working at the Roadhouse when I overheard some hunters talking about a hunt in the bar late at night. Thought it was an opportunity to gank something on my own—you know—back then I was always looking for an opportunity to show everyone I wasn't a little girl anymore. So, stupidly, having done almost no research, I dove head first into this wendigo case and barely walked out alive. The men at the bar were there when I arrived, one was already dead and the other was tied up to be a midnight snack," Kim sighed. "There were three of them. Those things were excellent hunters. I thought I was smart and tricked them by masking my scent and going around the back, but they knew I was there all along. I killed them, though, and saved the hunter, but it was all luck."

 _Kim stumbled into the empty Roadhouse, her weak legs barely able to carry her weight. Her duffel bag was slung sloppily over her shoulder before she dropped it at the Roadhouse's front door. Her body was aching, her knees wobbling, as if she was about to collapse. She was barley able to hold pressure to the deep, open wound on her stomach but didn't dare lift her hand; it was the only thing holding her stomach in place._

 _Her hair was matted into a thick bush, she attempted to push it out of her face as she limped discreetly into the bar. It was extremely early in the morning and she hoped that no one was awake to see her in such a horrid state._

 _Kim was covered in dirt and grime, blood oozed from each cut she obtained. When she wiped her forehead, she smudged blood and dirt over her face. Blood trailed her as she crept through the bar, the front doors closing silently behind her._

 _She cringed with each step, the pain surging through her body. With a painful turn of her neck, she saw the puddle of blood she had created. She wasn't sure how'd she clean it up before Ellen found it._

 _Kim made sure to keep her steps quite, each step was taken with precision and care. No one was in the dark bar and she was hoping to keep it that way. Planning the quickest and quietest rout to the bathroom in her head, she took another step._

 _In a sudden moment, the lights turned on and blinded Kim. In a rushed and panicked look, Kim saw Ellen standing at the top of the hallway Kim was about to sneak down. Her face instantly swirled into a mortified expression as she took in Kim's appearance. Blood dripping and pained, Kim stood paralysed in front of her, only adjustment her hand on her stomach; a gentle "oh shit," escapade her mouth. She knew she was in huge trouble._

"I got the world's worst yelling from Ellen when I walked back into the Roadhouse all bloody and torn up," she slightly laughed at the memory, but the boys weren't laughing, mesmerised by how stupid and lucky Kim was, although non of them would admit that would need an extensive amount of talent.

"Wow," Bobby awed slightly as he shook his head in disapproval. Kim stayed silent for a second, turning one side of her lips upwards.

"What about you guys? You've got a reputation worth killing for," Kim cautioned, knowing that such questions can bring up repressed memories just sit had for her. Kim knew that no one chooses to be in the hunting business and everyone had their own way journey of finding themselves stuck in the hunting life, wrapped in a motel bed sheets that were drenched in strangers sweat, covering up wounds that should have left one dead hours ago. Dean looked at her, thinking about what to say.

"Our dad was good at what he did. We just followed in his footsteps," Dean said. "Saving people, hunting things. The family business." Kim smiled and nodded, fiddling with her breakfast in her hand, remembering that exact phrase.

"Good is an understatement," Kim replied casually looking down.

"How do you know our dad?" Sam asked, intrigued.

"Everyone knew your dad," she replied instantly, in a tone which implied what she said was obvious. Her words came out quick and planned. Shaking off the last remark Kim made, Sam was determined to create open communication between all of them, although he knew Dean was a stubborn hard-ass, yet it seemed Kim would be just as difficult to crack.

"Okay, so, what did Pamela say?" Sam's words were like venom to Kim's ears. They rattled in her brain for before she could grasp what he said. Kim swallowed her breath and recalled the previous night.

•※•

 _It was a short drive compared to others, really, but it still took her a while to get to her destination. Kim stepped out of her car and walked to the address Bobby had given her. Knocking on the door of the small house, a young woman with black hair and a slumped figure answered the door. The lady looked Kim up and down as she leaned on the open door casually. She smiled at Kim with a small ghostly smirk on her lips._

 _"You must be Kim. Bobby told me he was sending you," she said with a smile. Kim gratefully sent one back as she entered the mysterious house._

 _Pamela seemed like a decent person at first glance, but Kim never judged by appearance. They were deceiving if manipulated correctly and she had never learnt to underestimate the cleverness and manipulation skill of a person she had never met. She was tall with black curly hair a devilish smile. Her posture seemed to be filled with a casual confidence, along with every other expression in her body. Kim could tell, even without being psychic, that her so-called 'aura' was stuffed with confidence like a rich kids Christians stocking. But Kim also knew, cockiness always came to bite you in the ass at the end of the day._

 _Kim followed Pamela as she strutted through her house, leading Kim to a room filled with many rare ingredients and symbols she had never seen before. Kim never believed in psychics, and rolled her eyes at the things she saw. She was taught that even though monsters are real, she didn't have to believe in everything. Pamela watched her from the corner of her eyes._

 _"You don't believe in this stuff," Pamela stated, watching how Kim composed herself around her house. Kim huffed and nodded slowly._

 _"What gave it away? Let me guess, you read my mind," she grinned. Pamela laughed, leading her to the table. She pulled out a chair for Kim, gesturing her to sit down._

 _"Shall we begin?" Her mouth was curved in a cocky smile as Kim sat on the chair, ready to listen, both of them ready to prove each other wrong._

•※•

"I'll tell you, just later. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it," she admitted. Sam and Bobby smiled, but Dean scoffed.

"What? We asked a—"

"I said I'd tell you later. Quit whining," Kim blurted, interrupting his tantrum before he could go any further. Kim sighed at his actions, seeing as he was not a very sympathetic person, just as she wasn't. She looked up at Dean. "How about you tell me about your life? Seeing as you're so interested in mine," she finished. Dean scowled at her, ignoring her question, but Sam through it was a good idea.

"Okay..." Sam said thinking about what he was going to say and how he was going to get her to talk. "Here's the deal. You're in this with us now and if this is going to work, we're gonna have to have a civil relationship, that includes an extent of communication, right? So we tell you our story, you tell us yours," Sam suggested. Kim considered it. She didn't even know how long she would be staying with the Winchesters, although Sam spoke as if it would be a while.

She considered why she was still with them. Sure, Sam called her back but she didn't have to come. She was fine hunting by herself for years. The thought of leaving them now dwindled in her mind while she still had her car and hadn't said anything extensive.

She wondered if it would be better if she left now and went back to her old ways. Hunting alone, with no one there to tell her what to do or what she was doing wrong, but most of all, if she went now, she would keep her personal life private.

Despite all the appealing reasons for Kim to leave, she agreed to the deal before her body had the chance to get up and leave.

"Great," Sam smiled. Sam turned to look at the displeased expression on Dean's face. He was just glad Dean didn't protest. "So, um... I guess we start from the start. Our mom was murdered by the Yellow-Eyed Demon when Dean and I were young. I'm guessing you know about the Yellow-Eyed Demon?" Kim just nodded. "After that, our dad was obsessed with killing anything supernatural, especially Yellow Eyes. He was hunting for most of our childhood. We switched houses and schools every few months and never really had a home. Just recently, our dad died. He had the Colt last, but when we found him, it was gone. Dean was injured and on the brink of death and then he was suddenly cured and our dad was dead." Dean looked down at his hands and licked his lips.

"Are you serious?" she blurted. "No way in hell did he give that thing away." Kim was astonished with what she had just heard, that she forgot who had just told her. Kim watched as they looked at her sceptically, processing her words carefully. She lack of consideration for his death and more for the Colt was something that baffled them, when a normal person would send a small word of condolence. Dean looked up at her and have her a half nod, slightly confused to what she knew about their father.

Sam furrowed his eyebrows before slowly moving on, he cocked his head towards Bobby. "We've pretty much known Bobby for most of our lives. He helps us on our hunts and was an old friend of dad's. Also, I have this ability. I have premonitions of people dying before it happens. That's about it," Sam sighed, changing the subject. "Your turn." Kim looked at them and shrugged.

"Uh, not much to say. Mom died when I was five, Dad died when I was eight, my older sister died when I was thirteen. All of them were hunters, of course, they usually didn't let me come with them, being the youngest. They always hoped I would have a better life than them. I started hunting by myself after everyone died and almost got myself killed until someone saved my ass," Kim laughed at the memory and how stupid she was back then.

"Followed a vampire into a nest. Of course, I had no idea what a nest was like back then. I wasn't even tall enough to decapitate a vampire if I wanted to. Then this guy, a hunter, saved my life and I got me my first solo kill. He taught me what I know about hunting, but he would go on solo hunts and had a family of his own, so when he left me and he dropped me off at Ellen's. She welcomed me into her family and house. I've been with her ever since. Every now and then, the man would come back and we'd go on hunts, but the day I turned sixteen, I went hunting on my own. Ellen tried to stop me but she knew she couldn't. Every so often the man would come and see me or I'd go and see him if I could find him, that is. I haven't seen him in a year," Kim smiled sadly. "I heard he died not so long ago. I hope he died doing something courageous, like her wanted. A hunter's death. I just learnt recently that he had," Kim finished her story, no emotion in her voice or tears in her eyes as if everything she'd been through was normal.

Sam smiled sadly at her, processing the story she told them. "Sounds like you had a family that cared about you," he smiled. Kim thought for a second before nodding as a response, avoiding eye contact by looking down. "You said you had an older sister, what was her name?" he asked curiously. Kim looked up at him and raised an eyebrow almost expecting him to back out of his question, but he stood his ground.

"Sarah." Kim's sentence was short and sweet, give the tiny bit of information he asked for with no secret details.

"Nice name," Dean added. Sam nodded, agreeing with his brother before uncomfortably shuffling in his chair.

"And, uh... how old was she when she... uh—" He spoke hesitantly as if any sudden noise could make a bomb explode.

"Died?" Kim finishing his sentence. "Eighteen," she answered.

"So young," Bobby added from behind Sam and Dean. Sam thought about it for a second.

"So she was five years older than you?" he asked.

"Yeah." Was all she replied with. Sam nodded his head.

"So uh, if you don't mind me asking, how did she die?" Kim shivered under his words as she was forced to remember that horrific moment. She quickly shook her head at the picturing of the repressed memory. Kim's eyes shot up to meet Sam's apologetic ones.

"You ask a lot of questions, ya know?" Kim accused before standing up and walking over to the wall to lean on it. Dean wiped his hands on his jeans before standing up.

"Who want to go get lunch?" he asked with a smirk on his face and food on the side of his mouth. Kim chuckled and shook her head playfully.

"We just finished breakfast," Kim replied with a smile on her face, looking towards Sam as if asking if Dean was serious. Sam just shrugged his shoulders with a smile on his face.

•※•

The small restaurant was filled with people being social and doing their job. Sam, Dean, and Kim sat at a table while Dean ate his ketchup and fries and Sam was on his laptop. Kim had her head stuck into another book of hers called 'The Catcher In The Rye' by J.D Salinger.

"So much for our low profile. You've got a warrant in St. Louis, and now you're officially in the Fed's database." Sam groaned at his older brother showing him the mugshot of him with privet information on his laptop screen. Kim put the book down and listened to their conversation. Dean was taking the situation much lighter than Kim would have thought.

"Dude, I'm like Dillinger or something," he said with a grin spread from ear to ear as he chewed on a fry. Sam scoffed at his immaturity.

"This is serious Dean. It makes the job harder, we've got to be more careful now," Sam complained.

"Wait, Dean's in the FBI's database?" Kim scoffed. "What did ya do?" she asked looking at Dean who just smirked in response.

"We've had a... history with the police," Sam intervened.

"Shifter," Dean added, he watched at Sam scrolled through his laptop, a stern expression on his face. "Well, what do they have on you?" Dean asked cockily. Sam's eyes were glued to his screen as he typed in his name and scrolled through information.

"I'm sure they just haven't posted it yet." His eyes never left the screen.

"No accessory? Nothing?" Dean asked the smile had not left his face. Sam shot a look at his brother.

"Shut up," he scoffed. Dean laughed at him.

"You're just jealous," Dean bickered.

"No, I'm not," Sam protested, a bit too eager to reply. His voice was filled with annoyance as he glared at his brother.

"Uh-huh," Dean mocked as he shoved another fry into his mouth. Sam rolled his eyes and went back to his computer and Kim watched in amusement. "All right. What do you get on the case there, you innocent, harmless young man, you?" Dean smirked, making Kim laugh at his comment. Sam glared at Kim, his eyes persisting her not to encourage Dean. Quickly, he shut the laptop, obviously annoyed and pulled out some pieces of paper from his bag and started ready from them.

"Architect Sean Boyden plummeted to his death from the roof of his home, a condominium he designed," he said.

"Hmm," Dean huffed slightly, "Build a high-rise and jump off the top of it. That's classy," he said, looking nowhere I particular. "When did he call animal control?" Dean asked. On the car ride to the restaurant, there was an announcement over the radio about the man's death after he committed suicide. It was heard that he reported the vicious dog to animal control but nothing was found. He could have been arguably suicidal, but the three of them thought otherwise.

"Two days earlier," Kim replied, looking over Sam's shoulders at the report.

"Did he actually say, 'black dog?'" Dean asked Kim as her eyes scrolled violently down the pages, processing the information.

"Yeah. A vicious, wild, black dog. The authorities couldn't find it, no one else saw it; in fact, the authorities are a little confused as to how a wild dog could get past the doorman, take the elevator up and start roaming the halls of the cushiest joint in town," Sam smiled sarcastically. "After that, no more calls, he doesn't show up for work, two days later he takes a swan dive," Sam replied, reading from the sheet.

"This can not be good," Kim muttered under her breath, sitting back in her seat.

"You think we're dealing with an actual black dog?" he asked, refusing to werewolves. Sam just shrugged but Kim didn't dare move.

"I don't know, maybe," he said casually.

"What's the lore on it?" Dean asked more serious.

"All pretty vague. I mean, there are spectral black dogs all over the world, but... some say they're animal spirits, others say death omens. But anyways, whatever they are, they're big, nasty," Sam replied handing him the papers. Kim just scoffed under her breath and mutter something along the lines of 'you don't know the half of it.' Sam sent her a weird look, but he didn't quite catch what she said. Dean huffed a laugh and showed Sam and Kim the picture on the sheet of a long, black dog with sharp teeth and ragged fur.

"Yeah, I bet they can hump the crap out of your leg." Sam only replied with a blank expression while Kim choked back a laugh, trying to be serious. "What, they could," he said defensively.

Sam and Dean went on with the case as Kim sat quietly in her chair, dreading the fact that she might know what they're up against and if she's right, it's not going to end pretty.

•※•

Sam, Dean, and Kim walked into the house of the victim's business partner. The man was short and chubby, wearing a blue shirt and cream jumper and jeans while Sam and Dean wore suits and Kim wore a blue button down top and pencil skirt. Kim had to admit, the boys fixed up well. They told the man that they were her as a tribute to Sean, as he and his partner were successful architects for an article in an architectural magazine.

"No, it... it's just, a tribute. Yeah. See, Sean always got the tributes. He kills himself, leaves me and his family behind... Well, he gets another tribute." The man laughed and shook his head in disgust, shocked that even after death, Sean was getting more attention than him.

"Right. Any idea why he'd do such a thing?" Sam asked genuinely, but the man just shook his head.

"I have no clue, I mean he lived a charmed life," the man replied.

"How so?" Kim questioned.

"He was a flat-out genius. I mean, I'm capable, but next to him, I... And it wasn't always that way, either."

"No?" Dean asked, feeling that there was more to the story than he was telling.

"You wanna know the truth? There was a time where he couldn't even design a pup tent. Hell, ten years ago he's working as a bartender at this place called Lloyds. A complete dive," the man explained as if the man magically appeared with God given talent over night. Kim swallowed a lump in her throat as she listened to the information.

"Right. So what changed?" Sam asked.

"You got me. But overnight, he gets this huge commission, and he starts designing... He starts designing the most ingenious buildings anyone has ever seen. It was like, the level of Van Gogh, and Mozart..." the man sighed as he thought about something.

"What?" Dean asked abruptly. As the story grew Kim was convinced her theory was true and if it was, she had to tell Sam and Dean as quickly as possible. The man scoffed a sickening laugh.

"It's funny, true geniuses. They seem to die young, don't they? To have kind of talent, why through it all away?" the man sighed, looking up to Sam, Dean, and Kim. They all took a small breath, before looking at each other; but Kim was hiding a wold of grief inside.


	9. Chapter Seven

Anyone who knew Kim well enough would know that she was not an ignorant person, which was something hunters didn't expect from someone of such a young age. Something as valuable as wisdom was seen as something a hunter would gather in time and patience, usually found in older, more experienced people of the trade; but Kim had done a lot of maturing in a short amount of time. Cocky hunters easily mistook her for a naive kid who thought she was better then she was, but in reality, she knew what she knew and she knew what she didn't making her one of the sharpest knives in the duffel bag. Kim had memorised a significant amount of facts about hunting; symbols, spells and chants; all things hunters need to survive along with some unless facts she had managed to cram into her brain. She was a very clever girl, clever enough to to figure out what their most recent case was about.

Kim watched from the back seat of the Impala as the morning light shone through the window and make the car a light orange. Sam sat in the front seat, the radio silent as they waited for Dean to walked out of a single story building that had a sign saying 'Animal Protection Agency' and holding a sheet of paper in his hand.

"So?" Sam asked as Dean sat in the driver's seat. Kim leaned forward so that her head was in between the front two seats. Dean turned to them and smiled.

"Secretary's name is Carley, she's twenty-three. She, uh, kayaks and they're real," he grinned, slowly flicking through the papers in s hand. Kim rolled her eyes at him as he smirked cockily to himself.

"You didn't happen to ask her if she's seen any black dogs recently, did ya?" Sam replied with a small sarcastic smile, getting back to the case. Dean held up a piece of paper in his hand and Kim reached for it and read the list of names who had complained about a black dog.

"Every complaint called in this week about anything big, black, or dog-like. There are nineteen calls in all and, uh," Dean said pulling off a posted note from the piece of paper. "I don't know what this thing is," he said flicking the paper around dismissively. Sam took the posted note from Dean and laughed before glancing up at him, the light making his young, infant like skin flawless. Kim and Sam looked similar in the way of how close to child like they looked. Flawless skin and undeveloped bone structures.

"You mean Carly's MySpace address?" Sam chuckled. Kim huffed a stiff laugh and grabbed the posted note off Sam and handed him the sheet with the names on it. She started at it for a bit before glancing up at Dean and laughing, handing back the note to him, who looked at it confused.

"Yeah, MySapce, what the hell is that?" he asked seriously as he stared down at the paper. Kim and Sam looked to each other as Sam laughed quietly. "Seriously, is that some sort of porn site?" he asked.

"Yes Dean, it is. MySpace is a porn site," Kim said casually sarcastic and rolled her eyes. It would never be heard from her directly, but Kim was starting get used to Sam and Dean's company to the point where she was starting to get a bit more comfortable around them. Not comfortable enough to answer ever single detailed questions they'd ask her, but enough for her to stop the meaningless snaps of defence.

It was hard for Kim to not pick up on some things about the brother. As she completed hunts with them she involuntary learnt their impulse moves and what they do when in a forcing situation and it was easy to tell the both of the brothers knew her's too. By both of their impulse actions, it became more clear for Kim to decipher the brothers personalities.

Kim had picked up on some things about Sam and Dean through the hunts as she watched their impulse moves unravel. Sam had the more sympathetic approve, the one who always understood the opposite side of the argument, who's mistakes were expensive and easily misplaced trust and empathy. Sam was the type of hunter who didn't make it far without a 'Dean' Bu their side. Trusting and naive were not traits often found in long living hunters, unless that had an overprotective, always sceptical hunter along with them and Dean's fighting could be described as exactly that. Sharp and untrusting actions constructed Dean's impulse moves which weighed out the friendly attitude of Sam's, making them a worthy opponent for anyone who crossed their paths; but she knew the hunting duo were not to be that way forever. Events and time change people, and the two that stood before Kim now, may not be the two that stand before her when it was time for her to leave.

•※•

Later on in the day when the sun was still scorching down on them, Dean, Sam and Kim pulled up to a white suburban house with a freshly watered green garden that looked too well done for some ordinary folk to manage. The house was a crisp white that clashed with the vibrant green garden and the pink flowers that bloomed perfectly. Flower-filled bushes marked the front door entry which was covered by a little veranda held up by stone pillars and a little footpath that lead to the door.

Kim envied the person that owned this house. Only someone who was well set up in life financially and mentally could afford a beautiful place like this. When she saw the house, she saw someone who was elegant, professional and confident owning it and she couldn't help but wonder if that could have been her if she wasn't brought up the way she was.

All three of them marched up the brick footpath that led to the door, knocked and waited for someone to answer. It almost seemed a crime to touch such a delicately and pristine door by someone knuckles who were never clean. They were looking for someone who had made a complaint, Dr. Sylvia Pearlman who made a complaint a few day ago about a barking dog.

The three of them slumped as they waited for the door to be answered and Kim looked down as she rolled her neck and saw that her hard-working boots had tracked mud along the footpath and onto the patio. With less than a care, she dragged her foot along the wood in order to get the rest off her shoe because it would be worse to track the rest into the house.

"I swear if this is another freakin' Pomeranian barking in the neighbour's yard—" Dean sassed while holding the sheet of paper in his hand but he was cut off by the door opening and there stood a short, Asian woman with shoulder length, black straight hair in a light coloured flowery top.

"Afternoon, ma'am," he said smiling at her. "Animal control," he said and they all showed their fake IDs. The Asian woman glanced at them briefly before making eye contact with Kim, a slightly confused expression on her face.

"Oh, someone already came yesterday," she responded.

"Oh, we're just following up," Kim replied casually. "We're looking for a Dr. Sylvia Pearlman?" The lady moved to the side, letting the three into the house before leading them into the brightly lit, white polished kitchen.

"The doctor, well, she—I don't know exactly when she'll be back. She left two days ago," the lady said from behind the kitchen bench.

"Okay, and you are?" Sam asked politely.

"I'm Ms. Pearlman's maid," she told them. Kim watched the lady and her soft movements. While Sam continued to ask questions and Kim fiddled around and took notes, Dean found his way towards the fridge filled with pictures of a young women.

"Do you know where the doctor went?" Kim asked, her eyes still wandering around the room as she tapped the pen on the notepad.

"I don't know. She just packed and went. She didn't say where." The lady fidgeted on her feet. "That stray dog, did you find it finally?" she asked.

"And this dog, you didn't happen to see it yourself, did you?" Kim asked quickly, impatiently awaiting her answer which could conclude her theory, but the lady just smiled dimly and shook her head.

"Well, no. I never even heard it," she sighed. "I was almost starting to think the doctor was imagining things, but she's not like that, so—"

"Hey, you know I read she was, uh chief surgeon at the hospital. She's gotta be what, forty-two, forty-three? That's pretty young for that job," Dean commented.

"The youngest in the history of the place. Got the position... ten years ago," the lady added. Kim groaned inwardly to herself, catching the eye of Sam who squinted at her suspiciously. When she caught his gaze, she coughed slightly and averted eye contact, moving her eyes back around the room and tapping the pen on the notepad.

"Huh, an overnight success, ten years ago," Sam commented. Kim couldn't help but groan again so only Sam who was standing next to her could hear. Sam watched as Kim became distressed suddenly and his suspicion only grew. She was stiff and uncomfortable, her body shuffling and fidgeting with her pen.

"Oh, look at this," Dean said holding up the photo of Sylvia at the bar with friends before flipping it over to show some writing in the back. "Lloyd's Bar."

•※•

The three of them decided that they would make the journey to Lloyd's bar the next morning, so they stayed at a motel that night. Kim hopped out of her car and followed Sam and Dean who asked for a room with two single beds, while she asked for another separate one. They had worked with each other for a while but they had never shared a room before, most of the time spending their nights in their cars or not sleeping at all.

"Sorry Hun," the receptionist said, "the other rooms are getting exterminated of rats and mould. There're no more available rooms left," she apologised. Kim huffed and nodded her head in expectancy, it was to be expected in such a run down motel where ants were everyone's roommates and horrid auroras were the chocolates on the pillows. She looked to the boys who just shrugged, but Dean seemed a little uncomfortable as he looked to Sam.

"Fine, put their room on my tab," she said before pulling out a credit card and punching in some fake digits and it was clear to the brother's that Dean was not the only one who had mastered credit card fraud. The lady smiled and did as she was told before Kim followed Sam and Dean into their crummy motel room for the night. The room smelt of death and all three of them gagged as they entered, the drifting aurora from the bathroom was even worse and Kim had promised herself that no matter how desperate she was for a shower, she wasn't going to step foot into that room. The room was small and the cardboard floor was stained, no carpet in sight. Mould grew up the wall as blood and dirt smudged the ceiling. There was only two beds and a tiny, one and a half seated couch that smelt of dust and shit and Kim was scared that if she put pressure on the cushions, filthy water would emerge from within.

"I'll take the couch," she said before chucking her bag on the dusty grey couch and plonking herself down on it, grateful that a cloud of dust reputed form the cushions instead of a puddle of dirty water. Sam and Dean threw their bags on the ground and looked at each other cautiously, standing around as if they didn't know what to do. Kim saw them from the corner of her eyes as they shuffled on their feet, looking around for something to do. "It's not my ideal situation either but I'm not that hard to live with," she stated.

"Yeah, okay," Sam said walking to the table and shuffling on a seat, trying to get comfortable and pulled out his laptop while Dean went out to get a beer, leaving the two of them other room, minding their own business. Tapping the couch with her fingers in boredom, Kim decided to pull out 'The Catcher In The Rye' and started reading it although she was uninterested and she only got through the first page before the silence in the room started to get heavy. Sam was researching on his laptop, only a glance away from Kim. The only sound in the room was the tapping of the kept board and the fiddling if the dry and fragile page.

Kim felt the weight of the silence, trapping her, unable to even flip another page. Kim knew that Sam heard her groan earlier on in the day while interviewing the maid and Sam knew that she knew he heard her. It was concerning, how such a small noise caused such a disrupt in their lives. A groan was all it took to make Sam suspicious and Kim uncomfortable. If she could take it back, she would, but Sam heard her and he was curious to what it meant.

Kim started at the page as she thought about the case at hand, trying to distract herself from the silence. She knew exactly what they were up against, and Kim was quite concerned that the brothers hadn't figured it out yet. It had crossed Kim's mind to leave and just get this over with by herself. She obviously knew more than the brothers and it wasn't a case she was willing to sacrifice for their ignorance; but as she stared at the page, she knew it was best if she told them and hit it over with.

After a while, Kim couldn't concentrate. She kept rereading the same line on the same page over and over again, occasionally glancing up at Sam, eager to break the taunting silence. He was nose first, reading intensely what was on his laptop. Kim watched him for a moment, wondering what to say, unaware that she had been staring at him for a while. Sam, feeling her gaze on him, looked up from his laptop and caught her gaze. Their eyes met for a millisecond before Kim shot her head back to her book, on the page that she was reading for the past five minutes. Both of them went back to what they were doing and the silence remained until a little while later Dean barged through the door, a full six pack of beer in his hands.

"Oh thank god," Kim muttered under her breath. Dean took out one beer and opened it before he threw the beer onto the table, slightly knocking Sam's laptop sideways. He looked around, switching between Kim and Sam only now realising he walked into awkward silence. The stood there for a bit, basking in the awkwardness with amusement.

"What'd I miss?" he huffed.

"Nothing," both Kim and Sam said at the same time because literally nothing happened. Dean shrugged and sipped his beer, looking at Sam's laptop for behind.

"You got anything?" he asked Sam who shook his head and sighed.

"Nothing. Just that it's a black omen," he sighed. Kim looked up at them from the couch before throwing her book down and making her way over to them. She knew that if she hadn't left while the silence tempted her, she never would. Dean looked up from Sam's laptop and watched as she leaned forward on a chair opposite them. Dean had a curious look in his eye, she could tell that he knew she had information.

"What?" Dean asked.

"I know what we're dealing with here," she admitted, confident she was correct. The boys looked at her questioningly. Sam got up out of his chair and walked over to her making her fix her leaning posture.

"What is it?" he questioned.

"They're called Hellhounds. Invisible, pitbull-like dogs that are sent from Hell to collect their end of a ten-year deal," Kim seethed, instantly biting her tongue just at speaking their name. It wasn't surprising to her how angry she instantly felt. "You won't be able to see them unless you're deal is coming to an end. They're ruthless creatures, Hellhounds. People try to run from them but they never run fast enough," Kim seethed, unnoticeable through gritted teeth.

"Hellhounds?" Dean questioned.

"Yeah, they drag you down to Hell when your end of the bargain is due, ten year after your deal," she clarified. "Everything has fallen into place. All the evidence leads to them. The maid not hearing or seeing the dog, the overnight successes ten years ago." Dean looked at Sam, their looks saying all they needed to before they both looked back at Kim.

"Great. Thanks Kim," Sam said walking back to his laptop and closing it.

"Yeah, uh. It's getting late. I'm going to bed," Dean finished before walking off to the bedroom leaving Kim and Sam alone in the kitchen. Kim furrowed her eyebrows as he walked off, surprised at how easily they took the information.

Sam smiled at Kim as a small thank you for the information and Kim granted a nod in return. They took it better than Kim expected, but Kim was sure they they din't quite understand the complexity and viciousness of these creatures. She would have thought they would bombard her with questions but they simply took in the information and walked off, not even questioning if it was true or not; not even bothering to do their own research on it. Sam looked at her as she was still sitting on the chair.

"I'll take the couch," Sam sympathised, automatically walking over to the couch but Kim shook her head.

"No, I said I'd take it. Don't worry."

"No, it's only fair. You paid for the room," Sam chuckled awkwardly. Kim looked to the couch before looking back at Sam.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think you'll fit," she admitted with a huffed laugh. Sam laughed and looked back to the couch, realising that if Kim hadn't mentioned it, he would have been sleeping with his whole legs dangling off the couch. Kim's height was perfect for the couch, considering she was about chest height with Sam.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Kim sent Sam a single, quick smile which signified no meaning as he left. Kim walked over to the old, steel heater next to the couch, and warmed her hands. She smiled and got changed into her pyjama's before getting comfortable on the couch and covering herself with a blanket. She didn't bother to read her book to help her fall asleep, she was already extremely tired after following the Winchesters around.

•※•

Kim woke up before the brothers, she could still hear their soft snoring from the couch. She sat up on the couch, feeling herself pry off the itchy and straw-like material of the couch feeling half dead before rubbing her eyes and yawning. Dragging herself off the couch she felt like she couldn't keep her eyes open for more than three second. She shut her eyes slightly before dragging her feet to the bathroom and washing her face and brushing her teeth at an attempt to wake herself up, only remembering the smell of the room after it was too late. She looked at her phone and saw that it was only 7:31. Her bones seemed heavy and she wanted to drop back onto the couch and forget that she ever woke up, falling back to sleep where everything was okay but she knew if she did she wouldn't be able to get up again.

She dragged herself to the kitchen and looked for food but the only thing she could find was Dean's beer. Groaning, she slapped herself in the face and dragged herself to the nearby grocery store to buy ingredients to make breakfast.

When she got back, Sam was awake.

"Where'd you go?" he asked staring at the grocery bags. Kim placed the bags filled with everything she needed on the bench with a small 'oomph'.

"I'm making breakfast," she replied simply, not bothering to look at him as she unpacked. Pulling the ingredients out, she started to make the batter for her pancakes, mixing until it created a smooth texture. Sam watched her messy movement, but although sloppy, she looked like she knew what she was doing like the back of her hand.

She put the, oily and stained complementary motel pan on the stove, greasing it with butter and waiting for it to heat up. She held her hand over the top of the pan until she felt resisting heat form. Kim paid no attention to Sam as she made breakfast, continuing the silence that wasn't so awkward anymore as Sam sneakily watched her cook with interest. He was intrigued with the way she moved; with a form of chaotic confidence. Ingredients were all over the bench and her arms were in every direction, but the batter sat perfectly in it's spot and she seemed quite intent that it was, in fact, the perfect batter.

pouring the batter into the pan, she watched as it rolled itself into a perfect circle. With a simple nod at her uncooked pancake, she waited for the edges of the perfect circle to bubble before flipping it to discover rings of a golden, crispy pancake. By the time she had made the first few pancakes, Dean woke up and moved to sit on the chair next to the table.

"I smell pancakes," he smiled as he stretched his arms over his head, his soft skin shinning in the light. His eyes squinted shut as stretched by Kim caught a glimpse of his green eyes when the light flickered over them. He looked up to Kim who was placing a plate stacked high with pancakes on the table for him and Sam. He looked at her and smiled, breathing in the scent of the maple syrup she was making. "We're keeping her. She makes breakfast," Dean hummed to Sam, who greeted Kim with a moan as he smelt the syrup she was cooking in the pot.

She hummed proudly at her pancakes, taking a deep breath, inhaling the sweet sent. They look just and smelt just the way they were suppose to, sweet, golden and round. They were thick and luscious and Kim watched as a cloud of trapped steam released from the inside of Dean's pancake as he cut in greedily. Maple syrup dripped down his lips and Kim watched, satisfied as his tongue dipped down and swiped it away.

Kim sat back and watched as the boys ate, not bothering to even think about indulging herself with one. The uneven and low moans of approval from the brother were enough to let her know that she had done a good job

"So you can only kill 'em with a demon knife? Do they even exist?" Dean muffled, pancake blocking the sound. Kim's pride was wiped from her face and into her natural numb expression as she snapped her head in the direction of Dean.

"Yeah, it's an ancient knife of the Kurds. It exists, I just don't have it," Kim explained slowly.

"And how do you know about this knife?" Dean questioned sceptically.

"I just do," she quickly changed the subject as Dean sent a look to Sam, "But you can hurt a Hellhound with salt, holy water and iron," she finished.

"Well, that's what we're gonna have to use then," Dean said with an unsure smile. Kim looked from her stack of pancakes to them.

"So, when are we goin' to Lloyd's bar?" Kim asked putting their empty plates in the motel kitchen sink. She watched as Sam looked at Dean warily. She saw the uneasy expression Dean and his brother shared. Kim furrowed her eyebrow. "What?" she asked bluntly. Sam looked at her sympathetically.

"We did a little research on Hellhounds and—" Sam sighed, "Look, Kim, this is a really dangerous hunt and we don't even have anything to kill it with," he argued lightly, trying not to anger Kim. Although he never said it directly, Kim knew exactly what he was doing. Quickly she tensed up and gave Sam a mean glare, a warning to stop him from finishing his sentence before it was too late.

"Say one more word Sam and I swear to—"

"We're just trying to keep you safe," he argued back. "Ellen would kill us—"

"Ellen is not my mom! I don't care what the hell you are trying to do. I told you— I gave you all the information you have. You would still be flat on your ass if it wasn't for me. You owe me this hunt!" she warned.

"Kim—"

"No! I'm sick of your bullshit. I don't need to be protected!" she fought. Dean groaned and rolled his eyes and without thinking twice, he marched over to Kim and grabbed her wrist demanding, dragging her in the direction of a steal heater. His grip was strong and forceful, but Kim had fought worse. With a quick twist of his arm and a shove to his chest, Dean was forced to let go of Kim before she broke his arm.

"Don't tough me," she spat as she shuffled herself away from him; but Dean wouldn't be defeated by some little girl. With a sharp movement Kim hadn't seen coming, Dean forced Kim to his chest and shoved her towards the heater, forcing a pair of handcuffs around her wrist and the heater. She pulled against the cuff but she knew it was no use. "What are you doing! I should be coming with you! You can't just leave me here!" she spat.

"Yes, we can. Sam, let's go," Dean said chucking his bag over his shoulder and walking to the door. Kim yelled at them. Sam looked at her, a sorry expression on his face.

"It's not fair! Come back here you son of a bitch! I know more about Hellhounds than you ever will! You need me, you assholes!" she spat. Kim was furious to say the least. She told them everything the knew and they threw it back in her face by not trusting her and leaving her at the motel. She was fuming. Her face heated up and her body tensed in the position she was in. Dean looked at her from the door frame, seeing her struggle against the grip of the cuff.

"You told us everything we need to know. Sam," he said gesturing for Sam to follow him. Sam sent Kim a look before walking out of the door. Dean stood there, still staring at her. "We'll be back in a few hours." she said turning away from her and taking a step outside. He stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Oh, and thanks for the pancakes." He closed and locked the door behind him.

Kim groaned and yanked herself towards the door, but the chain held her back. She knew squirming wasn't going to help, but right now it was the only thing she could do. She tried to wriggle her hand out of the cuff but it was too tight around her wrist. She screamed for them to come back, but they didn't even turn their heads.

•※•

 _"Now give me your hands," Pamela said with a smile, reaching out for Kim. Kim hesitantly held put her hands and felt Pamela wrap her fingers around her, embracing Kim's hands in her own. Pamela automatically shivered at Kim's touch, sensing the tension inside of her muscles. Pamela closed her eyes and took in all the scenes around them. Kim rolled her eye before doing the same._

 _"I feel something," she said suddenly. Kim shot a look at her, intrigued by her comment. Although she didn't believe it, she was interested in what she had to say._

 _"What?" Kim asked intensely. Pamela scrunched up her face and moved her hands up Kim's arms and around her wrist. Her fingers massaged Kim's skin going deeper into thought._

 _"It's strong, whatever it is," Pamela commented. Pamela yanked Kim towards her trying to get closer, get a deeper understanding of what she had. Her fingers rubbed deeper into Kim, leaving a red mark. "I can't seem to reach it." Kim didn't understand what she was talking about. What was she trying to reach?_

 _Kim didn't say anything, afraid that if she got answers, they wouldn't be what she wanted to hear. She just sat and felt and Pamela moved her hands up her arm again do that they were tightly clinging to Kim's forearm._

 _"I— I got it," Pamela exclaimed, tightening her grip on Kim. Kim could feel it inside of her, rummaging around in the pit of her stomach and pumping through her veins. Kim gasped as she felt it going faster as if it was fighting, running. It was white hot, heating up her body from the inside out. She could feel her brain and blood throbbing inside her. She screamed out in pain as a massive wave of pressure crashed over her. She felt pain in the top of her head and running down to her neck. It travelled to her shoulders making Kim groan in pain. It felt as if someone had demolished her shoulder with a hammer and pulled out her bones and flesh. It moved down to her forearm and met Pamela's hands._

 _Kim gasped in relief, feeling the pain drain out of her. Her up muscles relaxed and shoulders dropped feeling satisfaction take over her. Pamela screamed out in pain as she felt Kim's pain transfer into her. The same excruciating pain that Kim felt was now in Pamela. Pamela was paralysed in pain, unable to remove her hand from Kim's skin._

 _Kim realised what was happening from what happened to Dean and she quickly yanked her arms away from Pamela. She heard her sigh in relief and gasp for air. Her face was red as well as Kim's._

 _"What the hell?" Pamela screamed at Kim._

 _"I don't know!" she defended. "That's your job!" Kim sighed and stood up from the table._

 _"Well," Pamela said, "I got something."_

 _"Yeah?" Kim asked. Pamela got up and stood in front of her._

 _"I don't know how to explain it. It's... weird. I haven't seen anything like it before," she sighed. "I don't know how to explain it," she whispered again to herself. Pamela reached out and grabbed Kim arm, attempting to feel something again. "Your pain. It's inside you, building up. It's not... human."_

•※•

Kim let her hand lay limp as it dangled from the cuff. She could feel the weight of her hand fall on the edge of the cuff, sure to make a red mark. Groaning, she leaned on the wall close to the heater and rubbed her eyes with her free hand, knowing that Sam and Dean won't be back for a while. As she sat in silence, she came to realise that her actions were similar to a child's; she would hate to think for how her sister would have reacted if she saw her only a few moment ago. She regretted the way she responded, not only because she realised she was being rude but because they probably thought she acted like a child and therefor would continue to treat her as one. She was generally mature and professional for her age and refuses to be treated any different but she was betrayed.

She ran her fingers through her hair, sighing in defeat and wondering what to do. Her fingers draped through her untangled hair gently before something hard brushed against her fingertips. A smug smile grew on her lips as she thanked her past self for being too lazy to find the rest of the bobby pins in her hair.

Kim pulled it out of her hair and with her mouth, she bent it to a ninety-degree angle and bit the rubber tip off. With her free hand and a small smirk on her face, she placed the straight side of the pin in the upper part of the lock and started wiggling it around. After a few minutes of patiently working on the lock, she heard a click and the cuff loosened on her wrist. Smiling proudly at herself she pulled herself free of the cuff and rubbed her irritated and red wrist. Quickly, she grabbed her duffel bag and slung it over her shoulder before grabbing her keys and heading to her car. She was determined to prove the wrong, but Sam and Dean had a good half an hour head start.

•※•

Kim drove to Lloyd's bar in her car, whatever music that was on the radio blaring through he speakers as she flew down the road. The rock and dirt road flung up at her car as she drove down the long path. Eventually, she hit a crossroad with yellow Yarrow flowers around it. Off to one side was Lloyd's bar and standing in the centre of the crossroad was Sam and Dean who were looking down in a hole they had dug. They looked up and saw Kim driving towards them when they heard a car on the road.

Kim looked at the surroundings, confirming that it was most definitely Hellhounds. A crossroad with yellow Yarrow flowers around it only meant one thing to Kim; deals with demons and Kim instantly felt disgusted. Kim parked the car and hopped out and strutted her way towards Sam and Dean. Sam looked kind of pleased to see her, but Dean looked pissed. She stood next to them and looked down at the hole, the sun burning down on them before looking back at Dean.

"I'm a hunter. What part of that makes you think I can't pick a lock?" Kim huffed slightly. Sam smiled softly at her as Dean stared blankly, his nostrils flairs slightly.

"Yeah, we should have let you come," Sam replied, licking his lips and nodding. Both of them looked to Dean expecting him to say something, preferably to a similar tone to what Sam had said, but when he saw the look in their eyes, he shook his head.

"I'm not apologising. You shouldn't be here," he argued, standing his ground. Kim rolled her eyes at him and looked at the hole.

"What've we got here?" she asked staring at the hole. Sam shrugged at Dean who shook his head but agreed.

"You were right, it definitely a Hellhound," Sam explained. "It's a demon deal. People make deals with—"

"With demons and then they collect your soul in ten years time. Yeah, I know," Kim groaned rubbing her eyes before reaching into the hole and pulling out a rusted tin box with bones, graveyard dirt and picture in it to summon the demon. Dean sent her a flat look which sent she returned.

"People are actually making deals with the damn things?" Dean spat disgusted by the fact, Kim nodded with the same amount of disgust. Although Dean and Kim had agreed on something that seemed like an easy agreement, they were for very different reasons. "You know, 'cause that always ends good. Whoever this demon is, it's back and it's ready to collect. And that doctor lady? Wherever she's runnin'? She ain't runnin' fast enough," Dean said as he looked around the place looking to see if anyone was watching them, the sun beaming into their eyes. Kim looked at the photo in the box and wondered who it was. She didn't know who it was but she was reminded of someone.

"It's kind of like the Robert Johnson legend, right?" Kim huffed.

"Yeah, except that wasn't a legend," Dean stated. Kim shrugged, recalling his song lyrics.

"Makes sense, I guess. The amount of occult references in his songs was crazy. 'Cross Road Blues,' for one."

"'Me and the Devil Blues' and 'Hell Hound on My Tail' too," Dean named. Kim smiled fondly, remembering her father singing along to his songs.

"'Hellhound On My Tail' was a good song," Kim smiled quickly to herself. They both turned to Sam, who looked lost.

"You know his music, don't you Sammy?" Dean asked. Sam just shrugged. "The story goes that he died choking on his own blood. He was hallucinating and muttering about big, evil dogs," he explained for Sam's benefit.

"We've gotta figure out if anyone else struck any bargains around here." Dean looked up at Sam and raised his eyebrows, amused and puffed.

"Great. So we've gotta clean up these peoples' mess for 'em? I mean, they're not exactly squeaky clean. Nobody put a gun to their head and forced 'em to play 'Let's Make A Deal,'" Dean stated, almost laughed.

"So what, we should just leave them to die?" Sam asked, squinting his eyes his brother, shaking his head slightly in disagreement.

"Somebody goes over Niagara in a barrel, you gonna jump in and try to save 'em?"

"Dean," Sam said in slight disgust. Sam and Dean stayed quiet for a minute as Kim stood back and watched.

"All right. Fine. Rituals like this, you've got to put your own photo into the mix, right? So this guy probably summoned this thing, let's go and see if anyone inside knows him. If he's still alive," he said taking the picture from Kim and holding it up. Dean took off towards the bar with Kim following close behind, leaving Sam alone staring at the hole.


	10. Chapter Eight

"What's this guys name again?" Sam asked Dean as all three of them walked through the front doors of a cheap apartment building. Sam's hands stuffed in his jacket pockets, his eyes glanced over the interior of the building as did Dean and Kim. The building was dimly light with messy bookshelves towards the entrance. Just by the first glance, Kim could tell it wasn't an ideal place to be living.

"George Darrow. Apparently quite the regular at Lloyd's. His house probably ain't up next on MTV Cribs, is it?" Dean said walking up the staircase, suggesting that the apartment they had just entered wasn't very homely. Kim nodded her head in agreement after wiping a huge amount dust off the stair railing.

"Yeah, you can say that again," she said scrubbing her dirty hand on her jacket rather unladylike. "So whatever he made the deal for, it wasn't for cash."

"Ah, who knows? Maybe his place is full of babes in Princess Leia bikinis?" Dean smirked putting his hand to his chest and making a breast gesture, eyeing Sam with a smirk. Sam sighed and shook his head and Kim half-hearted, scoffed laughed. "No, I'm just sayin', this guy got one epic bill come due. Hope at least he asked for something fun," Dean finished as they all stopped in front of the door. Apartment 4C.

Kim examined the door and it's roughly painted appearance which matched the interior of the rustic hallway completely. Her eyes trailed down the door and was met with some black dust-like substance lining the doorway.

"Look at that," Sam said pointing to the dust, noticing it too. Dean and Sam bent down and touched it, feeling its grain like texture rubbing against his skin. Dean brought it up to his nose so he could smell it.

"What is it, pepper?" he asked as the boys stared at it. He looked up to Kim from the ground. "Do you know what it is?" he asked, thinking that Kim might know something about it since she knew about Hellhounds but Kim just shook her head, although she strongly believed it's wasn't pepper. Suddenly, the opened and sent the brothers rushing to the feet. The door stood ajar and a man with grey hair and dark skin stood on the other side looking at the three of them questioningly.

"Who the hell are you?" he said deeply eyeing them viscously.

"George Darrow?" Dean asked, looking at the man.

"I'm not buying anything," he said quickly before almost completely shutting the door on their face but Dean's hand reached out and stopped it.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, looks like you went for the wrong shaker there," he laughed slightly, pointing to the black dust. "Usually when you want to keep something evil out you go for the salt." George looked at them untrustingly still eyeing them carefully.

"I don't know what you're talkin' about," George lied looking the three of them up and down.

"Talkin' about this," Dean said and pulled out the photo George used to summon the demon. Kim watched as George scanned the photo in disbelief.

"So, a Hellhound's chasing your ass. Can we come in?" Kim asked with a lippy, sarcastic smile. Sam looked at her and then back to George.

"Look, we just wanna help. Please. Just five minutes." George stared at them for a second before stepping out of the way to let them in. His apartment was filled with pots of paint and paintbrushes. Paintings filled the small room and the walls were filled with masterpiece paintings. Kim nodded, pursing her lips, highly impressed at them as she entered the room, admiring the amount of detail put into each artwork.

"What's that stuff out front?" Sam asked as George took a sip of alcohol.

"Goofer dust," he said looking at the boys who just looked confused. Kim turned around from the painting and looked at him too, also unaware of the mysterious Goofer dust. "You three know something about something but not Goofer dust?" he said with a huffed laugh. The man through a small, black bag toward Dean, who caught it without taking his eyes of George.

"Well, we know a little about a lot of things. Just enough to make us dangerous," Dean said deeply, holding the bag in his hands, his words coming out as if it was almost a threat.

"What'd's do?" Kim asked, stepping forward, hands stuffed in her pockets.

"Hoodoo. My grandma taught me. Keeps out demons," George explained.

"Demons we know," Dean chuckled, looking at the bag if dust.

"Well then, keep it. Maybe it'll do you some good," he said walking over to an unfinished painting set upon an old easel. "Four minutes left," he said easily, knowing his fate and taking it was ease. Kim sighed and took another step to George, watching his exhausted attitude.

"Listen, we know you're in trouble—"

"Yeah, that you got yourself into," Dean interrupted, not looking at them. Kim trained and looked to Dean, giving him a slight death glare as did Sam.

"It's not hopeless, alright? There's gotta be something we can do," Sam said, finishing off Kim's empty empathy speech which he half directed towards Dean.

"Listen, I get that you guys just wanna help, but sometimes a person makes their bed and they just gotta lie down in it," he sighed exhausted, taking a seat in an old worn out chair. "I'm the one who called that demon in the first place."

"What'd you do it for?" Dean asked. George looked up at them seriously.

"I was weak. I mean, who don't wanna be great?" George said staring at Dean. "Who don't want their life to mean somthin'? I just... I just never thought about the price," he said in taking a deep breath. Kim thought about what he said, taking in an old man's last words. Kim already knew from when she was younger her life wasn't going to be great, she just hoped her life would mean something to someone, someday.

"Was it worth it?"

"Hell, no," George replied automatically. "Course I asked for talent. Should have gone for fame," he laughed shaking his head at his own mistake, "but I'm still broke and lonely. Just now I got this pile of paintings ain't nobody want." The three of them looked around at the paintings, Kim admiring the effort it took to make such a detailed painting. "But that wasn't the worst," he sighed and said nothing afterwards, thinking about the past.

"Go on," Sam encouraged.

"Demon didn't leave. I never counted on that. After our deal was done the damn thing stayed at Lloyds for a week. Just chattin'. Makin' more deals. I tried to warn the folks but, who's gonna listen to an old drunk?"

"How many are there?" Kim asked instantly. George groaned as he recalled the memory.

"Architect. The doctor lady—I kept up with them, they've been in the papers. Least they got famous," he sighed leaning back in his old chair, sipping his drink.

"Who else George, come on think," Dean persisted, stepping forward. George groaned huskily, taking a sip of his drink. He looked around the room as he thought of a name that was on the tip of his tongue.

"Uh, one more, nice guy too. Hudson. Evan, I think. I don't know what he asked for. Don't matter now. We done for," Sam shook his head, disagreeing.

"No, no there's gotta be a way." Sam was persistent on helping these people, Kim admired and scoffed at that. He always saw the best in a sour situation while Dean didn't. He saw things for the way they were, horrible. Life never handed Dean a fair shot, so why should he think any different for anyone else. Kim was never given the easiest options either, though—like Sam—she believed that the people who fight and deserve better get better; but although she believed that, doesn't mean she thought that it was going to happen.

In this situation, she knew there was nothing they could do. Hellhounds were after the man and there was no stopping that. Whether her pessimistic nature has come from the job or personal experience, she knew that George was done for. She was just glad that he had made peace with his ending.

"You don't get it. I don't want a way," George huffed putting his drink on the table beside his chair.

"Look, you don't wanna—"

"I called that thing!" George quickly stood up from his chair and started Sam straight in the eye. "I brought it on myself! I brought it on them." His voice cooled down towards the end, thinking about the fact he summoned the demon in the fist place. "I'm going to hell anyway. All I want is to finish my last painting." Everyone's head turned towards the undistinguished painting. "A day or two, I'm done. I'm just trying to hold 'em off till then. Buy a little time," he grabbed his drink and swigged the rest of it before slammed it back on the table. "Okay, guys. Time you went. Go help somebody who wants help," he said as he made his way towards the easel. Dean looked to Sam who gave him and Kim a weird look in return.

"We can't just—"

"Get out!" George shouted. "I got work to do," he sighed turning to his painting. Sam sucked in a breath while Kim and Dean stayed back, obeying a dead man's wish.

"You don't really wanna die," Sam replied. George turned around to face Sam, a lonesome and sad expression spread across his face.

"I don't. I'm... I'm tired." His voice was husky and deep and was the loneliest thing they have ever heard. George turned back to the painting, ignoring the others presence. They looked at each other for a second before they turned towards the door to let the man finish his painting.

•※•

Sam, Dean, and Kim walk up to a family house door and knock, waiting for it to be answered. Kim's eyes scanned the area. The only source of light was a chandelier from inside who's faint shimmer coming from inside the house covered the porch in white and the soft moonlight that was extremely pale. The night was chilled and Kim was just hoping to get some rest, dreading going inside to meet the ill-fated man named Evan Hudson. Hellhounds were something Kim never liked dealing with. They were vicious, merciless and controlled by Lucifer himself to snatch souls who made a wrong decision ten years ago. They were a division of hell and Kim wanted nothing more than to have nothing to do with them, but Kim was determined to prove her worth; she knew she was better than they thought.

A man opened the door, the light from the house escaping when he opened the door and shone into their faces.

"Yes?" Evan asked, standing in the doorway.

"Even Hudson?" Sam asked which the man returned with a 'yeah'.

"You been to a bar called Lloyd's?" Dean asked.

"Maybe about ten years ago?" Kim added. Simultaneously, a terrified Even slammed the door shut in their faces and locked it behind him. "Come on! We're not demons!" Kim called after Even but he didn't respond. Both Sam and Kim turned to Dean and sighed. "Well, that went well."

"Any other bright ideas?" Sam asked Dean, causing him to roll his eyes and stepped backward before he lunged at the door, kicking it open with full force. All three of them went inside and made their way to find Evan. Kim followed the boys who went searching around the house. They came upon a closed double door unlike any other in the house. Dean automatically went to kick it but Sam punched his leg down before he could bust open the door and rolled his eyes. Kim went to the door handle and pushed it down to find it was unlocked.

The three of them walked into the seemingly empty room. They entered the room slowly, looking around to see in Even was there.

"Evan?" Sam called out. Even popped out from behind a bookshelf with his hands up.

"Please don't hurt me," he begged, his eyes squeezed tight in fear. Kim watched the terrified, fully-grown man tremble at them and she came to wonder how such a cowards gathered enough courage to even make a deal so extravagant.

"Okay, we're not here to hurt you, we're here to help; but if we were — you literally just gave yourself up. Just popped right out from behind that bookshelf and presented yourself to a potential threat. Once we save your ass, I suggest you don't do that again," Kim said blankly, her expression as blank as usual.

"Thanks, Kim," Dean said sarcastically. "We know all about the genius deal you made."

"What? How?" Evan asked quickly, his eyes bulging in fear. He knew his end was near.

"Doesn't matter. All that matters is we're trying to stop it," Sam replied.

"How do I know you're not lying?" Evan argued, not sure whether he could trust the mysterious three that barged into his house and claiming to know weird things about him.

"You don't, but you're kinda runnin' low on options here buddy boy," Dean smirked. Evan swallowed hard before taking a deep breath in a pacing.

"Can you stop it?" he asked.

"Hopefully," Kim huffed, turning her head to the side so that Evan couldn't hear, but instead got a glare from Sam.

"I don't wanna die," Evan sighed onto his hands as they were cupped around his face.

"Of course you don't, not now." Dean had not remorse or sympathy in his voice, any empathy was fiercely rare.

"Stop," Sam warned.

"What did ya ask for? Huh? Never need Viagra? Bowl a perfect game? What?" Dean smirked unsympathetically. Even looked at him before looking back to the floor, almost in shame.

"My wife," he said simply. Dean let out a chuck.

"Right, gettin' the girl. Well, that worst a trip to hell for."

"Dean stop," Sam urged.

"No. He's right, I made the deal. Nobody twisted my arm, that woman, or whatever she was, at the bar? She said I could have anything I wanted. I thought she was nuts at first, but... I don't know how to—I was desperate," the man spoke weakly.

"Desperate?" Sam asked. Evan stepped forward as he talked and took a deep breath in, gathering the effort to tell them.

"Julie was dying," he signed. Dean's face dropped.

"You did it to save her?"

"She had cancer. They stopped treatment, they were moving her into hospice, they kept saying: a matter of days. So yeah, I made the deal. And I'd do it again. I'd have died for her on the spot." He stopped and took a deep breath, turning to face them.

"Did you ever think about her in all this?" Dean asked slightly pissed, as was Kim, her eyebrows furrowed as she waited for an answer.

"No one ever thinks of the other side of the deal, the person you are 'saving'. Did you think about how she would have felt? You mysteriously dead when she returned home," Kim barked, following Dean's lead. "Now, someone who loves you as much as you love them is going to have to bare the pain you were too selfish to take yourself."

"I did it for her."

"Are you sure about that?" Dean asked stepping forward, his voice threateningly low. "I think you did it for yourself. So you wouldn't have to live without her. But guess what? She's going to have to live without you now. But what if she knew how much it cost? What if she knew it cost your soul? How do you think she'd feel?" Dean seethed through gritted teeth. Sam stepped forward towards Dean and Kim and put his arm around Dean, bringing him back.

"Okay, that's enough. Sit tight, alright. We're gonna figure this out," Sam followed Dean and Kim out into the hallway. "You alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Dean rushed. Sam turned to Kim who gave him a steady nod. "Hey, I have an idea," he said before grabbing out the bag of Goofer dust and throwing it towards Sam. "You throw George's hoodoo at the Hellhound, keep it away from Evan for as long as you can. I'm gonna go to the crossroads a summon a demon." Sam and Kim's head shot up at his stupid idea.

"Okay, stop. Think about what you said. Summon a demon. Summon a demon! Are you looking for a one-way ticket to Hell?" Kim yelled.

"Kim's right, Dean. Are you nuts?" Sam hissed, looking towards Dean with his eyebrows furrowed and his face screwed up.

"Maybe a little. But I can trap it. I can exorcise it and I can buy us time to figure out something more permanent," Dean said easily as if it was a done deal.

"Yeah, but how much time?"

"I don't know, a while. I mean, it's not easy for those suckers to claw their way back from hell and into the sunshine," Dean laughed.

"No. No way," Sam argued.

"You're not allowed to say no, Sammy, not unless you've got a better idea." Dean looked towards Kim. "Hey, if it makes you feel any better, I'll bring Kim with me," he said patting Kim's back, trying to get her to agree. Sam looked at Kim and then back to Dean.

"What part of that idea makes you think it wall make me feel better? She's nineteen! She not even supposed to be here and you want to bring her to summon a demon?" Sam said harshly. "You can forget it alright. I'm not letting you summon that demon."

"Why not?" Dean said with a ghostly smile, sarcastic and provoked.

"Because I don't like where you head is at right now, that's why not," Sam argued like a protective mother.

"What are you talking about?" Dean asked, his face scrunched up.

"You know, you've been on edge ever since we found that crossroad, Dean, you too Kim," Sam replied, pointing to the two of them. "I think I know why," he said pointing to Dean.

"We don't have time for this," Dean said, brushing past Sam but he's topped by a single word.

"Dad," Dean stopped in his tracks, a stern expression on his face. "You think dad maybe made one of these deals, huh?" Dean slowly turned around to face Kim and Sam. Kim listened closely. Dean was eyeing Kim, knowing that Sam wasn't going to stop talking because she was there. "Hell, I've been thinking it. I'm sure you've been thinking it too." Dean looked down to the ground. He let the words dangle in the air for a bit before letting out a small sigh.

"It fits, doesn't it? I'm alive, dad's dead. Yellow-Eyed Demon was involved. What if he did?" Dean's voice was filled with regret and remorse. "What if he struck a deal? My life for his soul?" Dean was holding back as much emotion as possible. John Winchester had given his life up for Dean. Kim took a deep breath in as she processed the information.

Dean was filled with guilt. His heart was breaking at just the thought of his father—the toughest person he knew—suffering in hell because of his son. He felt the weight of his father on his shoulder and his blood on his hands. Kim could see the look in his glassy eyes. He was in pain. So much pain.

"I think I hear it! It's outside!" Evan called from inside the room. Dean looked to Sam.

"Just keep him alive, okay?" Dean said walking off.

"Dean—"

"Go!" he shouted to Sam as he turned the corner and was out of sight. Sam sent a look to Kim and she knew exactly what he wanted. She ran after Dean and followed him to the Impala.

Kim got on the passenger's side as Dean close the door to the driver's seat.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her. "I don't have time for setbacks," Dean spat as he put his hands on the steering wheel.

"Well, I guess you better start drivin'," Kim said as she buckled her seat belt. Dean pulled his keys out with a huff and started the car. It was silent for a while but a few miles down the road Dean turned on some classic rock. Kim's mom always used to listen to that sort of music, it was her thing. She would always sing 'Sweet Child O' Mine' by Guns N' Roses to Kim when she was a baby. Kim would remember her mom hold her in her arms, cuddling her to her chest as she softly sung that song to her. Till this day, Kim couldn't listen to that song without being nostalgic of her childhood.

Dean looked to Kim as she nodded her head to the classic rock song, humming along to 'Smoke on the Water'. His eyes switched from the road to Kim every now and then, still wondering how a girl so young could be stuck in something like this. He could see the anger and darkness behind her eyes. Filled with sorrow and regret. It was a familiar feeling to Dean.

"Why did you get all defensive back there? Huh?" he asked, turning towards Kim.

"I don't know what you're talking about?" she lied. Dean softly chuckled and turned back to the road.

"Cut the crap. I know something's up."

"Why are you so persistent on knowing?" she argued.

"Well, you know my Hellhound story. I only think it's fair you tell me yours." Kim huffed and leaned back in her chair, letting her head hit the backing. She stayed silent for a bit as she looked out the window, watching the stars.

"Oh look, we're here."

•※•

After some preparation, Dean put a photo of himself in a metal box before putting it in a hole in the middle of the crossroad and covered it with dirt. Dean refused to let Kim put a photo of herself in there as well, arguing that it was too dangerous. Of course, Kim didn't feel fine with only letting Dean up his photo in, yet he persisted. They both stood near the freshly covered hole and waited for a demon to appear.

"So," a voice said from behind them. They spun around to see a girl in a dress stand there, looking at them. "What brings some people like you to a place like this?" she asked. Dean and Kim watched her carefully. "You called me." Dean tilted his head towards her and smirked.

"I'm just glad it worked," Dean smiled cockily, looking her up and down.

"First time?" she cooed.

"You could say that," Dean nodded. The demon looked towards Kim, eyeing her up and down.

"Oh, come on now. Don't sell yourself short, I know all about you, Dean Winchester," she said as she walked up to him. The demon's head snapped towards Kim. "Same with you Kimberly—," Kim gritted her teeth and huffed at the demon who flashed her real eyes at Kim threateningly, she knew Kim hated her whole name.

"It's Kim," she gritted, earning a little smirk from the demon.

"So, you know who I am?" Dean smirked.

"Well, I get the newsletter," the demon smiled back. Her smirk was graceful and devilish as it traced her lips.

"Well, don't keep me in suspense. What have you heard?" Dean said stepping forward.

"I heard you were handsome," the demon flirted as she circled around Dean, "but you're just edible." She turned her head towards Kim as she stalked towards her. "And you. I heard you were a child. Isn't it past your bed time?" she laughed. Kim glared at her but it had no effect. She had a feeling she knew where that conversation was going. Kim was furious. She could feel her blood boiling inside her as she listened to the words seep out of the demons mouth. Her body tensed up and she tried her hardest to keep her anger under control. The demon took a step towards her so that they were face to face. "Your dad says 'hi' by the way," she whispered in Kim's ear. Kim bit her tongue to stop herself from punching that bitch right in the face. Kim could feel her nails digging into her skin as she clenched her fist, the aroma of sulfur was tingling Kim's nose.

"How can I help you, Dean?" she smirked, walking away from Kim and walked into in front of Dean. Dean smirked at her.

"Maybe we can do this in my car. Nice and private," his voice was low and dangerous, seemly seductive.

"Sounds good to me," she said before striking to the car, Dean following behind her. He looked over to Kim and pointed to the ground, gesturing of her to stay put. Without arguing, she crossed her arms and huffed, signaling him that she would stay.

Kim stayed put, watching as Dean and the Demon walked to the Impala. She tried her best to listen to the conversation but they were too far away to hear every word. She just wanted to make sure he didn't do anything stupid. She didn't want to have to save his ass.

"Like father like son," the demon smirked to Dean who sent her a deadly scowl. "You did know about your dad's deal, right? His life for yours? Oh, I didn't make the deal myself, but... Boy, I wish I had." Kim heard the worst part of the conversation. She was sure by the look on Dean's face and his clenched jaw he would do someone stupid. The sound of Impala door opening caught Kim's attention.

"After you," he seethed as he held the door open for her. The demon smiled at him.

"What a gentlemen." As she went to take a step into the car, she saw the edge of a symbol sticking out from under the car. She looked up to Dean with a grimace. "A demon trap? You've got to be kidding me," she spat. She stood right outside the demon trap and slammed the door shut as she marched towards Dean who had started backing away towards Kim. Kim took small steps backward towards a wooded structure, feeling rocks from the road that had flung into her shoe cut into her skin. "You stupid, stupid—I should rip you two limb from limb!" she sneered. Dean smirked at her and opened his arms.

"Take your best shot," his voice was pleading. Not something Kim expected him to say. Kim looked at him weirdly. She knew he was going to do something stupid.

"What are you doing?" Kim marched over to him but he ignored her and continued to stare straight at the demon. The demon laughed.

"No. I don't think so. I'm not gonna put you out of your misery," she teased as she stepped towards him.

"And why not?" he asked.

"Because your misery's the whole point. It's too much fun to watch. Knowing how your daddy died for you, how he sold his soul. I mean, that's gotta hurt." She continued to stalk towards Dean who was now up against the wooden structure along with Kim. "It's all you ever think about. You wake up and your first thought is, 'I can't do this anymore.' You're all lit up with pain. I mean, you loved him so much and it's all your fault." She looked over at Kim and smiled evilly. Kim scowled at her. "You blew it, I could have given you what you need."

"What do I need?" Dean asked.

The demon smirked. "Your father. I could have brought him back. Your loss. See you, Dean. Kim. I wish you both nice, long lives."

"Hold on," Dean said. The demon turned around and walked towards Dean.

"You're lucky I've got a soft spot for lost puppies and long faces," she said. "I just can't leave you like this. Besides, you didn't call me her to bargain for Evan. Not really." Kim's eyes shot towards Dean. The demon smiled and walked towards him some more as they backed away deeper under the wooden structure.

"Can you bring him back? My dad?" he asked.

"Of course I can, just as he was. Your dad would live a long, natural life... Like he was meant to. That's a promise."

"What about me?"

"I could give you 10 years. Ten long, good years with him. That's a lifetime. The family can be together again. John, Dean, Sammy. The Winchester boys all reunited."

"Look, your dad's supposed to be alive. You're supposed to be dead. So we'll just set things straight. Put things in their natural order. And you get ten extra years on top. That's a bonus," the demon smirked. "But you Kim, it wasn't your photo in the box," she sneered as Kim.

"You think you could..." Dean stopped walking and turned towards the demon. "Throw in a set of steak knives?" he asked. The demon smirked and stepped closer to him so that they were face to face.

"You know, this smart-ass self-defence mechanism of yours—" She stopped and looked up to find a demon trap painted on the roof of the wooden structure. "Dean... Kim..." She spoke in a threatening tone as they smiled to themselves proudly.

"That's gotta hurt," Kim said with a smirk.

"Let me out, now," the demon commanded.

"Sure, but we gotta make a little deal here first. You call off your Hellhounds and let Evan go, then I let you go," Dean smirked.

"I can't break a binding contract," she argued.

"By 'can't' do you mean 'won't'?" Kim huffed.

"You let Evan and his wife live to a ripe old age. Going... going..." Dean started.

"Let's talk about this," the demon pleaded.

"Okay, gone." Dean grabbed out his father's journal and handed it to Kim who opened it to the exorcism. She felt the rough leather between her fingers she thought she would never feel again. She flicked through a few pages until she met the one she was looking for.

"What's she doing?" she asked Dean.

"She," he said point to Kim, "is giving you a little trip. Way down south."

"Regna terrae, cantate deo..." Kim started the exorcism, circling the Demon, who begins to flinch and convulse. "in potentis magnife!"

"Wait!" The demon grabbed Dean who was standing close to the Demon trap and pulled him into a passionate kiss. Kim fake gagged as she watched the unexpected scene unfold. She broke the kiss and he stepped back away from her and wiped his lips.

"What the hell was that for?" he seemed disgusted.

"Sealing the deal."

"I usually like to be warned before I'm violated with demon tongue," Dean sighed, wiping his hand on his jacket.

"Evan Hudson is free. He and his wife will live long lives."

"How do we know you're not lying?" Dean questioned.

"My word is my bond," she finished. "It is when I make a deal. It's the rules. You got what you wanted. Now let me go." She demanded. Dean stepped back and glanced up at the Demons trap. "You're gonna double-cross me? Funny how I'm the trustworthy one," she yelled as Dean just shrugged. "You know, you renege? Send me to hell? Sooner or later I'm gonna climb out, and skinning Evan Hudson will be the first thing that I do," she spat. Dean smiled at her and started walking to his car. She screamed after him but he ignored her. The demon switched her attention to Kim.

Kim sighed and climbed the wooden structure and pulled the knife out from her pants. Kim scratched away at the paint, creating a small indecent in the paint, allowing the demon to escape. The demon smiled at her and shook her head before shouting after Dean.

"I gotta tell you. You would have never pulled that stunt if you knew," the demon spat towards Dean.

"Knew what?" Dean seethed.

"Where your dad is. You should have made that deal. See, people talk about hell, but it's just a word. It doesn't even come close to describing the real thing," she continued.

"Shut your mouth, bitch." Kim could see Dean was getting extremely irritated. His fists were clenched and her jaw was stiff, a stern and deadly expression on his face.

"If you could see your poor daddy? Hear the sounds he makes 'cause he can't even scream?" the demon spat.

"How about I send you back there?" Kim smirked as she continued the exorcism.

She throws her head back; black smoke poured out of her mouth as she screamed. The demon was gone and the girl who had hosted it slumped to the ground, confused.

"What... How did I get here?"

•※•

Sam, Dean, and Kim were in the Impala driving to the closest motel, Kim crossed her arms and fiddled with her necklace chain around her neck. Sam and Dean had been talking about what happened and what the demon said. Kim and Sam were trying their hardest to convince Dean that the demon lied. That's what they do, they lie to make people feel like shit. Both Sam and Kim could she the darkness and sadness in Dean's eyes. There was a moment of silence.

"Dean?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," Dean replied.

"When you were trapping that demon, you weren't... I mean, it was all a trick, right? You never considered actually making that deal, right?" he asked nervously. Both Sam and Kim waited for an answer yet they knew they weren't going to get one.

Dean stares straight ahead, then glances out the side window. He reaches forward and turns the radio on full blast and doesn't say a word and they knew exactly what that meant.

They had been quiet for a while now, only music to occupy their busy minds. Kim was glad that they trusted her enough to talk about their dad in front of her. She was sure Dean still didn't feel very comfortable around her even after the few months they had known each other. Sam, on the other hand, felt like he could trust her to an extent. Kim was never the person to blab about her personal life. It just seemed every one she trusted turned to dust in a matter of years, but she knew that if she was going to hang around with the Winchesters, she had to trust them a little.

"Pamela honestly didn't say much," Kim started. Sam spin around from the front so he could look at Kim as Dean turned off the music, intent to listen. Sam's eyebrows were furrowed and he sent her a questioning look.

"What are you talking about?" he asked,

"You asked me what Pamela said and I told you I'd tell you when I had my head wrapped around it. Well, I think I have. Listen, she didn't say exactly what it was. She said it was powerful and inhuman." Kim took a breath, not of nerves, but to ease the tension. "I connected the dots and figured out what it was," Kim blurted. Sam furrows his eyebrows at her, not exactly knowing what she's talking about.

"What?" Sam persisted, wanting to know what she was talking about.

"It all adds up. Andy didn't effect me. It's inhuman. The burst of excruciating pain that I can apparently transfuse to others," she explained and both Sam and Dean waited for her to continue. She let her words drift through the air as she thought about what to say. It was too late for her to say 'forget about it', but Kim felt like she didn't need to, as if she almost trusted them. Their familiarity made her feel like home, so she took a deep breath and sighed. "I think I have an ability. Like Sam." The car turned quiet and Kim knew the second it left her mouth that it was a bad idea to tell them. Sam sat there and stared at her as he connected the dots himself. After a few extremely awkward seconds of silence, Dean coughed awkwardly.

"Well..." Dean sighed and turned on the music, "that was interesting."


	11. Chapter Nine

The room was filled with stress and dread, people pacing and heart beats rising; a woman laid dead in the room next door. The tension was building as everyone looked upon the lifeless body. To some, Beverly Tanner was a friend, a neighbour, a mother or an innocent woman who was caught in the wrong situation and as they started at her body, reality became all too real. Dean had shot three deadly bullets towards her, ending her life within seconds as she whimpered in the corner, begging for mercy. Never would he kill an innocent woman who was in such distress but she was sick, cursed with the Croatoan virus. Her name was Beverly, a woman loved by everyone in the town. Her husband and son were infected first and they tortured her for their sick pleasure until Sam, Dean and Kim burst through their front door, taking her away from the madness—but it was too late.

Now, they were trapped in the doctors clinic, the rest of the town effected with Croatoan. Kim, Sam, Dean and three others: Doctor Lee the middle aged women, Pam the young nurse and Mark the neighbour. Sam had seen it in his vision, Dean shooting an innocent man named Duane as he yelled at Dean to have mercy. He told Dean he wasn't infected as he begged for his life. The others in the room seemed to believe him but Dean shot him anyway, claiming he was a liar. Sam paced around the clinic afraid his vision would come true and his brother would shoot an innocent man, everything else in his vision had. He saw the poster for Cater Lake in his vision and the word 'Croatoan' carved into a wooden pole.

It had been a few days since Kim told the boys about her ability, not a word had been spoken about it since; although nothing had been said, actions speak louder than words. Sam had been more shut out, less trustworthy towards Kim knowing she was a murdered like the rest of them. She though he would have been more understanding towards her since he was going through the same experience but he was stuck in the mind frame that they were born killers. It was Dean who was showing more compassion, no longer leaving her out of hunt and involving her in case research. He still kept an eye on her at all times and he though she hadn't noticed the glares he gives her every now and then. She knew he didn't trust her but he was trying. He had started to act more comfortable around her to prove a point to Sam, but besides his best act, he was starting to like her. No one can help how you feel towards people. Some people are trustworthy, some are not and some you just have to learnt to live with. After all, Sam called Kim back for a reason.

Mark lifted the blinds with his finger, peering through the window curiously. He squinted his eyes, staring into the night, only able to see the silhouette of some people nearby, gathering at the corner of a store across the street. Sam, Dean and Kim were setting up their weapons, sharpening knives and loading guns, an action not meant to be as threatening as it was. Sam looked to the side, glancing over Kim and Dean as he put a dagger away before turning his attention back towards what he was doing. Suddenly, the sound of glass shattering and screams coming from the other room grabbed their attention and they instantly went charging in with their weapons by their side.

"Oh God! Is it on me? Am I okay?" Pam, the nurse shrieked as she dusted herself off. She had just dropped a vile of effected Croatoan blood and fear she had some on her knowing that if she did, she would soon become effected.

"You're clean, you're okay," Doctor Lee assured, rushing over to her being careful not to touch any blood. Everyone in the shelter knew that one drop of blood in a humans system would turn them feral and eventually kill them.

"Why can't we just go? Please, can we just go?" she pleaded with weak, watery eyes to the doctor who sighed in frustration.

"No, we can't cause those things are everywhere," Dean intruded.

"Unless you want to get effected," Kim sighed at the stupid question. Sam sent her a 'not helping' look and she huffed. Kim would have never seen herself in this situation in a million years, trapped in a clinic with a deadly virus spreading just outside those doors, but everything seemed to be getting weirder than she imagined ever since she met the Winchester brothers.

"Oh God," Pam sulked as she sunk to the floor, the Doctor trying to comforter her with sympathetic cooing.

"She's right about one thing. We can't stay here. We gotta get outta here, go to the Roadhouse, somewhere. Let people know what's coming," Sam whispered to Kim, Dean and Mark who had formed a small huddle in the doorway.

"Sure, let's get everyone infected," Kim scowled, her arms crossed.

"Yeah, that's a good point. Night of the living dead didn't exactly end pretty," Dean added.

"Well, I'm not sure we've got a choice. Lots of folks up here are good with rifles—even with all your hardware we're, we're easy targets. So unless you've got some explosives..." Mark suggested but they all shook their head. Sam sighed and looked around the room, his eyes landing on the doctor shelf and saw all the medical supplies. Kim and Dean look up at Sam and followed his gaze towards the shelf, immediately knowing what he was thinking.

"We can make some," Sam said walking to the self and grabbing something for the top shelf and gestured it towards the others.

"Hey! Let me in! Let me in! Please!" a mans voice yelled as he banged on the front door, begging for an entrance. All of them come rushing out of the room, Mark and Kim with their guns cocked and aimed.

"It's Duane Tanner," Mark ran to the door and unlocked it for the poor man locked outside. He stumbled inside, puffing from running.

"Thanks," he breathed and walked further into the clinic. The three hunters watched as the other welcomed the man, who could or could not potentially be effected with the virus.

"That's the guy I, uh—" Dean clicked his tongue and gestured to a slit throat, only speaking loud enough for Kim and Sam to hear.

"Yeah," Sam said, watching Duane.

"Who else is in here?" Duane asked Mark. Dean grabbed his arm and looked at him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, easy there chief," he said staring at the new-comer. "Hey Doc!" he yelled, changing his attention to Doctor Lee. "Give him a once over, would ya?" He slightly pushed Duane towards the doctor who lead him into a different room and the all followed.

"Who are you?" Duane asked nervously.

"Never mind who I am, Doc?" Dean said waving his gun around, gesturing for her to do the test.

"Yeah, okay." The doctor started getting everything ready as Duane sat on the doctors chair. Kim watched him curiously, as she leaned up against the wall. He explained how he had been in a fishing trip and only came back that afternoon.

"On a fishing trip up by Roslyn. I came back this afternoon. I... I saw Roger McGill being dragged out of his house by people we know! They started cutting him with knives! I ran, I've been hiding in the woods ever since. Has anybody seen my mom and dad?" the man rushed anxiously. Dean turned to Sam and Kim who both had hardened, sorrow expressions for the boy considering he had just lost his family and they were on the other side of the spectrum.

"Awkward," he whisper to them at a pathetic attempt at at joke—trying to lighten the mood—before turning back to the others.

The doctor cautiously walked over to Duane and checked him for any cuts or wounds that could lead to him becoming effected. Kim watched sternly from behinds as Doctor Lee checked his leg. Her fingers pulled at a tear in his jeans, revealing a long cut on his skin, blood messily spread along his wound. Kim nudged Sam beside her and gestured towards the it, warning him that Duane might not have been as innocent as once thought.

"You're bleeding," the doctor stated before nervously looking up at the three of them. Pam shuffled on the spot as everyone anxiously waited to see what they were going to do—since they hadn't shown much mercy to the others.

"Where'd you get that?" Dean questioned as he stepped forwards threateningly, looking down at the wound. Sam and Kim watched Dean carefully because they knew the potential outcome of that situation. Kim also stepped forward after a few seconds so that she was in line with Dean. Her small action was not so much of a threat but a warning to Dean. She didn't trust the man that had just came in. He had a mysterious cut on his leg with a blood bound virus spreading like soft butter and if it was up to her, this man would be treated as if he was infected until proven innocent, but as she watched Sam, she knew he was watching her too. He had little faith in her ever since that day they spoke, and she was content on proving that her ability didn't make her a murderer, her upbringing did.

"I was running, I must have tripped," Duane defended.

"Tie him up, there's rope in there." Mark rushed to get the rope from the other room while Duane sat helplessly on the doctors table, afraid of what situation he had put himself in.

"Wait!" he begged, pushing himself from the table, protesting against the rope. His small voice was full of innocent pleads but his sudden movement caused Dean to pull out his gun and aim it at him.

"Sit down!" Dean ordered.

"Sorry Duane, he's right. We have to be careful," Mark added.

"Careful? About what?" he yelled after Mark as he sat back on the table, his eyes ever-so-often glancing at the cocked gun aimed at him.

"Did you come into contact with anyone while you were outside. Bump into someone or—"

"Did they bleed on you?" Dean cut to the chase.

"No, what the hell! No!" he pleaded.

"Doc? Any way to know for sure, any test?" Sam asked.

"I've studied Beverly's bloodwork backwards and forwards—"

"My mom?" Duane intervened. Doctor Lee spent him a mindful glance, otherwise ignored him as she continued to explain.

"It took three hours for the virus to incubate. The sulfur didn't appear in the blood until then, so... no, there'd be no way of knowing. Not until after Duane turns," she informed, regrettably.

"Dean, Kim, I gotta talk to you. Now," Sam urged. Dean turned to Mark and gave him a nod. The three of them looked to each other for a second before walking out of the room, closing the door behind them. Kim followed the boys into the other room, glancing over her shoulder to the closed door. She could hear the panic in Sam's quick footsteps and short breathing—this was something these boys did not come across every day.

"This is my vision. It's happening," Sam rushed, looking mainly at his brother.

"Yeah, I figured," he replied.

"You can't kill him, alright. Not yet. We don't know if he's infected or not." Sam was certain that Duane was innocent and that his simple scrap was just that.

"Oh, I were pretty damn sure. Guy shows up outta nowhere, got a cut on his leg, his whole families infected," Dean argued.

"In Sam's vision you shoot an innocent guy, right? Just refrain from shooting him until he turns rabid. For Sam's sake," Kim explained, trying to convince Dean. It was quite obvious that Sam was convinced he was innocent.

"Yeah, we should keep him tied up and wait to see what happened," he offered, Kim nodded with him. Sam kept his eyes on Dean not spearing a glance over to Kim even though she was the only one agreeing with him. Kim's eyes switched to Sam, his expression stern and straight. Sam neglected Kim's presence, avoiding her stare actively telling her she's not wanted in this conversation. He could feel her stare in him, waiting for him to acknowledge her but his gaze stood straight at Dean as Dean's eyes flickered from Sam to Kim. Kim rolled her eyes at Sam and looked back to Dean before leaving the two boys and walking back into the other room.

Duane was tied to a chair for security reasons. He didn't struggle, it was him against everyone else in the clinic. His pleading eyes met Kim's and she gave him straight nod of reassurance. He looked up at her and sighed, hearing the boys yelling from the other room. He knew what was coming for him and although Kim had been reassuring, he knew she was as ruthless as the others.

"You're gonna kill me, aren't you?" He was strong, his voice was rough and stern, not something Kim was expecting from someone in his place.

"If you're as innocent as you say, I won't let anything happen to you." Kim nodded and silence fill the room as everyone looked to each other. The boys yelling from the other room got louder with every sentence said and everyone's eyes darted to each other as Kim's head hung, listening, unbothered by their childish tantrum. The room stayed an awkward silence while everyone tried to understand what the boys were arguing about and soon, what started out as muffled noise in the distance became something Kim could recite word for word.

"It's suppose to be tough, Dean. We're supposed to struggle with this, that's the whole point!" Sam yelled at Dean.

"What does that buy us?"

"A clear conscience, for one!" Sam yelled back.

"Well, it's too late for that!"

Everyone listened to their argument, taking in every word, waiting for a hint about what was going to happen. Everyone stood and waited in fear—apart from Kim—for what they were going to do. Sam couldn't seem to convince Dean and Kim licked her teeth knowing that if Sam couldn't convince him, she would have too. She was still on Sam's side, not only because she knew she was worthy of his respect, but because she fought for what was right.

If she was there she could help Sam, but her help was clearly not wanted although it was obviously needed. Sam was being childish, ignoring everything Kim did, even if it was to help him. It had become so prominent throughout the few days since Kim told the about her ability, Dean had even noticed.

Kim didn't mind. It's not like she needed his approval or anything. She didn't need him to like her—she just though he would understand, he was the one who called her back. Maybe she though he would be more supportive throughout the situation. Not that Kim needed support.

"Dean!" Everyone turned their heads stewards the hallway, the source of the noise. Kim walked out into the hallways and saw Dean locking the door, locking Sam in. He turned around and saw Kim looking at him, a dead expression on his face.

"Don't be stupid, Dean. There's no proof," Kim spat, stepping forward.

"Enough proof to convince me," he said taking another step towards Kim. "I'm not having this argument with you," Dean said, shoving past Kim. She tried to block him but he shoved her aside and walking into the other room. Kim hit her head and slumped against the wall. Slowly, she held her hand to her head. She watched as he walked past her and into the room where Duane awaited. She saw his cocked gun in his hands ready to shoot.

"No, you're not gonna... No! No, I swear it's not me." Kim heard him plea. She got up and marched into the room, staring at Dean as he pointed the loaded gun at Duane head. She stood behind Dean, watching the terrified expression on Duane's face. She walked around to Duane and stood behind him so she was facing Dean, she could see Dean's expression, stern and ruthless.

"Maybe he's telling the truth." Mark intervened. Kim's expression turned stern, her hands clenched.

"Of course he's innocent, at least now he is! He hadn't hurt anyone and you're prepared to put a bullet through his skull!" she yelled, pointing to Duane. Dean's jaw clicked, avoiding eye contact with her. "When—and only when—he turns rabid you can shoot him but until then, he stays alive and tied to the chair, okay?"

Dean sighed and looked Duane straight in the eyes, ignoring the please from everyone else around them. Kim stood dead silent, a deadly look on her face piercing Dean. She jaw was clenched and she fists were in balls. Although she had words, there was nothing she could do to stop him without whipping out a gun herself.

"I got no choice." Dean held the gun, his finger lingering over the trigger. The moment seemed to drag out for a while and Kim was so sure he was going to pull the trigger. She could see it in his eyes as she pulled out her own gun and held it straight at Dean, her expression as clear as Dean's.

"Drop it, Dean," Kim spat, her finger as close to the trigger as his was.

"Damn it." Dean spat lowering the gun, releasing the tension. Duane panted in relief as does everyone else. Kim released the breath she was holding in and dropped her gun before she walked over to Dean and pat his shoulder as she walks out the door and unlocked Sam from the other room.

"He's alive." Is all Kim said to Sam before walking off, completely ignoring him as he did to her.

•※•

It had been three hours and Duane was clean. Nothing had happened since then, he hadn't changed or turned rabid, so he was released. He seemed fine and Kim was secretly glad she sided with Sam, even though they weren't on the best terms at the moment.

The room was silent and tension has filled the air. All three of them were making bombs in silence, using rubbing alcohol and chemicals found in the clinic. Their attention was stuck to the bombs, not spearing a glance to anyone else and it was easy to say, non of them wanted to be there.

Eventually, Sam said something directed to Dean, asking him why he didn't shoot Duane. Dean said it was because of Kim but Sam and Kim could tell it wasn't the full truth. There was something else.

Sam went to get more alcohol for the bombs leaving Kim and Dean alone in the room. After a few minutes they heard banging coming from the other room. Quickly, Mark, Dean and Kim armed themselves and ran into the room to find Pam straddling Sam, smothering her blood into an open wound on Sam chest. Panic rushed through Kim and Dean as they watched the scene unfold in front of them. Sam struggled under her but her blood had already made contact with his. On instinct, Kim cocked her gun and shot Pam three times, her expression stayed strong as she watched Pam die from her bullets, no remorse.

Sam pushed the dead girl off of him and quickly looked to his brother. Kim sighed and looked towards Dean and Mark, unprepared to look at Sam.

"There was blood contact," Kim muttered, afraid of what was going to happen next. She knew Dean wasn't going to kill Sam and neither was she, Doctor Lee seemed like she didn't wasn't to kill anyone, it was Mark and Duane who were prepared to do anything for survival.

Kim helped Sam up, still not looking at him and bandaged his wounds. Duane and Mark were persistent on putting Sam down, saying it was for the best. Dean fought back, of course, making it very obvious that no one was shooting Sam.

"I'm gonna say this one time—you make a move on him, you'll be dead before you hit the ground. You understand me? I mean, do I make myself clear?!" Dean yelled, his stern expression gave no one the choose to argue back. He was set and Kim stood by his side.

"We didn't kill Duane and we're not killing Sam," she explained, her tone was as serious as Dean's.

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Mark yelled back. Dean reached into his pocket and tosses Mark his keys.

"Get the hell out of here, that's what. Take my car. You've got the explosives, there's an arsenal in there. You three go with him. You've got enough firepower to handle anything now," Dean explained, looking at Mark. Kim stared at Dean who didn't glance back.

"Three?" she asked Dean, turning to him and with a firm look, he nodded. "I'm not leaving. Why are you still trying to get rid of me?" Kim argued.

"I'm trying to keep you safe!" he yelled back.

"I don't need you to keep me safe! Let me help you!"

"There's not time for arguing, are you coming or not?" Mark asked, Dean didn't have a chance to respond before Kim answered.

"Leave." Was all she said and without a second word, Doctor Lee, Mark and Duane were out the door with the explosives, ready to survive. Dean sent her a deadly look which she threw back before casually leaning against the wall, waiting for Sam's eventual end to happen. She knew it would be devastatingly hard for Dean at the moment as he waited for his brothers end, to evidently have to put a bullet through Sam skull, so she waited with him, offering him the little compassion she had to give.

"You two should leave. Just give me the gun and go," Sam offered, willing to take his own life.

"For the last time, Sammy. No." Sam slammed his hand of the table angrily, staring at his brother.

"No, you can keep going!" Sam practically begged.

"Who says I want to!" Dean yelled back, stumping both of them with his answer. Kim looked to him as he sighed. "I'm just tired. Tired of this, the job, the weight on my shoulders. I'm just tired." Dean complained. Kim felt a bit of empathy for him as he sat alone, head down as if he was too ashamed to look up.

"Aren't we all," Kim added.

"You're just gonna lay down and die? Look, Dean, I know this stuff with Dad has—" Kim raised her head at the mention of John, knowing about the relationship the boys had with him and the way he died.

"You're wrong. It's not about dad. I mean, part of it is, sure, but..." he trailed off.

"But what?" Sam asked but a noise outside caught their attention. Kim grabbed her gun and cocked it. Her eyes flickered from Dean to Sam cautiously, listening for another noise when they heard a knock. Dean goes to the door, Kim and Sam following behind and they see Doctor Lee standing there.

"I think you're want to see this." Her eyes glanced over the three of them. They followed her out to find the other survivors in front of the clinic, looking around there was no one to be seen. It was silent and lonely, like a town that has been abandoned for days—weeks even. "There's no one. Nothing, they just all... vanished." As they looked around, Kim's eyes fell onto a wooden pole, which looked used over its time, with the mysterious word 'CROATOAN' carved in capital letters.

•※•

"It's been five hours and your blood still clean, I don't understand it but I think your dogged a bullet," Doctor Lee explained, checking Sam blood under a microscope. "I mean, if you compare it to the Tanner sample," she said to Sam looking through a different microscope to one of the Tanners blood. "What the hell?" she exclaimed.

"What?" Sam asked.

"Their blood, it's clean. There's no trace of the virus at all. No sulfur, no nothing," she said in disbelief. Kim rushed over to Doctor Lee's side and looked into the microscope only to be met with clean blood.

"That's weird," Kim stated. "Not like any other virus I've ever seen." Kim looked around to everyone, shocked. Dean clapped his hands and smiled.

"Well, since everything is back to normalish, we better be off," Dean smiled as he walked towards his car, Sam and Kim following behind him. The three walked to the car, questions filled their minds. Their mission to save lives failed and the case just slipped through their fingers, leaving a trace of dread. They didn't help the infected and that bothered Kim, eating at her pride. She knew she was leaving the town to rust, to weather away to nothing, something this big can't be rebuilt over a few years. People die and families were lost, Kim left the town empty and alone, she know the virus left but it's effect will never leave the lives of its victims.

As they walked away, Kim looked over she shoulder and scanned the destroyed town they were leaving, but there was nothing she could do about it. What had been done had been done and the lives that were lost weren't coming back. So she watched, walking away from the ruins and dread before hopping into the Impala and driving off with Sam and Dean.

"Why was I immune?" Sam wondered, looking out the window from the first seat as they drove away.

"Yeah, you know what? That's a good question. You know, I'm already starting to feel like this the one that got away," Dean stated. Kim nodded, feeling the same. It slipped away along with the lives of a whole town.

•※•

The dive was mostly silent except for the last hour or so, where Dean put on some music. Kim was in the back seat, nodding her head long with the music, a sense of nostalgia tingled through her remembered her mom singing song like this, dancing as she made breakfast. It was somethings she loved about her mom, she had her own way of doing things. Dancing to classic rock while making breakfast was one of her things as Kim, a little baby in her highchair banging her hands together and laughing.

It wasn't long before Dean pulled over towards a lake and got out the car, Sam and Kim following. He pulled out an ice box and passed Sam a beer. Dean took out another beer to pass it to Kim. She smirked and went to reach for it when he pulled back, looking into her eyes, a serious expression on his face.

"Not a word to Ellen," he said putting the beer in her hand. She smirked and nodded.

"Wouldn't think about it," she smirked, ripping the lid off and pressing the beer to her lips taking a sip. Dean and Kim leaned on the car, Dean smiled at Kim as she looked out towards the water. He took in the small features on her face, things he didn't seem to notice before—even with a few months together. The small scare behind her ear, the Angel pin that was hidden behind her jacket and how relaxed she seemed after her first sip of beer. To him, she still was a kid but he knew she was tougher than she appeared. He then looked towards his brother who was sitting at the edge of the water, also staring at it taking in its peaceful aura.

The silence was nice and harmonious, the small sound of the water in the distance. Of they could, they would just sit and watch the water for hours without saying a word.

He smiled sadly towards Kim, wondering about her backstory and the hidden secrets she had locked away from everyone. She was the keeper of her own story, as was Dean, but he was intrigued by the mysterious blackness behind her eyes and the sadness in her smile. Reminded himself of a younger version on him. Too strong to say they were weak. Too stubborn to say they need help.

Kim turned to Dean with a small smile.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," she said with a laugh, breaking the tension. He huffed a laugh and took a swig on his beer.

"How'd you get the scar?" he asked, pointing behind her ear. She sighed before she scoffed and felt behind her ear, feeling the bumpy texture of the scar. The short straight scar her ear was almost completely hidden unless someone was looking for it. She had almost forgot about it, but it was always there.

"To be honest, I don't even know," she shrugged contemptibly. "The life of a hunter, I guess." He smiled at her meaninglessly before turning to his brother again and a sighed. He had something he needed to tell him and he was honestly feared how he would react.

"Do you mind giving us a minute," Dean said, motioning to Sam. Kim looked to Sam and nodded, taking a swig of her beer.

"Sure. I'm going for a walk," she said pointing down the length of the river. As she walked away, she took off her sneakers and socks, carrying them in the opposite hand her beer was in. Kim felt the grass and dirt in between her toes as she walked, feeling the texture of the grass itch against her skin. The quite sounds of the water soother her mind as she almost forgot about the events that took place just before. Her eyes scanned the clean lake and felt it's fresh, cold breeze on her cheek, the light bouncing off of the water reflected on her necklace.

She reached for the chair and played with it, smiling to herself as she did. The rough metal clawed on her skin as she rubbed it between her fingers, making her flesh feel raw. Her hands slid down to the ring that was on the end of the chain. The rings danced between her fingers as she toyed with it.

It wasn't the prettiest thing in the world nor was it worth a good amount of money, but it held a great amount if sentimental value. That was the only reason she kept on her, Kim was never the kind to wear jewellery, especially on hunts. Her fingers graced over the rough, rugged metal of the ring and a pentagram as the pendent. She was delighted just thinking about it, the memories it held the stories it shared.

As she twisted the ring, her fingers accidentally brushed against something cold. A sad smile plastered on her face as moved her hand from the necklace to the Angel pin on her top, hidden by the baggy jacket. The sun shone on the pin, making it glisten as she twisted it. Her heart ached and pained as she twisted it, her sad smile showing its importance.

Kim let go of the pin and took a big swig of beer. She looked over her shoulders to see the boys sitting near the water edge, screaming at each other. Kim sighed, she enjoyed the peace and silence while it lasted. Kim quickly put her shoes back on before running back to the boys.

"I never said that," Dean sighed to his brother, who was obviously pissed. Kim walked up behind them but they ignored her, they were too into the argument to care.

"Jeez, if you're not careful you will have to waste me one day, Dean," Sam sassed taking a sip of beer. The anger dripped from his voice, like a flower dripping in poison. Kim's mouth dropped open is shock. What did Dean say?

"I never said that! Dammit, Sam, this whole thing is spinning out of control. All right? You're immune to some weirdo demon virus, and I don't even know what the hell anymore. You're pissed at me, I get it. That's fine, I deserve it. But we lay low until we figure out our next move, okay?" Dean practically begged, his eye not moving from Sam.

"Are you gonna kill Kim too, huh? She has abilities. Are you gonna waste her as well?" Sam spat, pointing to Kim, acknowledging her presence, using her against Dean.

"I never said that!" Dean yelled, furious with his brother twisting his words. Kim was taken back. Only a few minutes ago they were looking into the water, peaceful and quiet. Things always got heated the second someone opened their mouth, just another reason why Kim kept to herself.

"Forget it," Sam sighed, taking a sip of beer.

"Sam, please, man. Hey, please. Just give me some time. Give me some time to think, okay? I'm begging you here, please. Please," Dean pleaded, but Sam didn't reply. He just looked out onto the water and ignored their presence. After a few second, he nodded reluctantly while Kim stood there, unable to understand what she had just heard.


	12. Chapter Ten

There was nothing Kim could do to break the tension. It was so thick a hunters knife couldn't cut it. Sam and Dean had been distant to each other and Sam was still avoiding Kim. Dean and Kim had minor conversations every here and there, but nothing like before. Everyone was avoiding each other, Kim was just thankful to get her own motel room this time. Every time Kim was with the brothers there was an immense amount of awkwardness between them. She could see them stiffen and shuffle on their feet, looking around the room, searching for an excuse to get out of the situation. Her heart would start racing and she would become sweaty, casually wiping them on her pants as they all waited in silence. Conversations were hard to start and maintain so they would stay in silence. It was so horrible Kim considered going solo again.

It had been a quiet week, no cases had popped up even though she secretly hoped one would just for an excuse to leave her room and do something, get away from the boys and the tension. She secretly longed for the thrill of the hunt even though most hunters couldn't wait to get out, to be free from the hunting curse but hunting was the only thing Kim had ever known. But her week was as quiet as her conversations with Sam. So she retreated to her room and read as many books as she wanted for as long as she wanted, avoiding Sam and Dean.

A small pile of five books piled on her floor next to the crummy motel bed and soon she had finished her small collection of classic novels. Finishing the last word, of the last page of her last book, Kim sighed and slowly closed her novel, chucking it on the pile on the floor. The thrill of the book ending was still as exhilarating as the first time she read it. She had reread all of these books too many times to count since her childhood, but had never bought a new one. Someday she wished to get another but she pulled out her laptop instead.

She had spent hours on her laptop, connected to the free wifi at the motel as she browsed the internet. She scrolled and scroll looking for anything to entertain herself as long as she didn't have to speak with Sam or Dean. She would start at one end of the Internet and end up at the other and soon her eyes landed on something that could potentially be a case.

A couple bought a new house and were murdered the next week. No sign of entry and no prints left on the sense. Seemed like a simple salt and burn, no need to tell Sam and Dean. It was a rare opportunity to get out of the motel and away from the brothers, so she took it. She'd have it over with before tomorrow morning. So, she packed her duffel bag full of rock salt bullets, a shot gun and iron rods to prepare herself for the hunt, not forgetting her trust iron knife.

It was nine in the afternoon when she left and she hoped to be back before Sam and Dean woke up the next day. With that, she left not to return for a good twelve hours.

•※•

The hunt was as simple as a hunt could get. She salted and burned the bones of the ghost that haunted the house after hours of brain numbing research and returned to the motel ten in the morning the next day. It was easily the most boring case she had ever worked on. There was no excitement, most of the time she was researching instead of hunting and the ghost barely put up a fight. There was not interesting backstory to the house or the ghost who had simply died of old age and haunted the house, refusing to go to the other side. She had no vengeance on anyone nor did she have any next of kin to prey on. She was just a lonely, old woman who died in a house her father gave her. Kim's best apprehension was that the ghost determined to make her afterlife more thrilling than her plain life while she was alive. Although the case was boringly easy, it was better than being stuck with the boys.

She sighed, exhausted as she dragged herself to her motel room, feet barley lifted from the ground. Her body felt so heavy, her eyelids were already dropping and her bag was weighing her down. She reached into her pocket to pull out her motel key when she saw her room's door was slightly ajar. Her heart rate began to rise, she left light and energised, exhilaration and adrenaline ran through her veins immediately as she pulled out a gun and held it up in defence, slowly walking into her motel room, hearing the door creak as she pushed it open.

Her room looked the same, her pile of books still on the floor and nothing was out of place, it was just how she left it. She was certain she locked the door before she let. She saw that the room was empty so she walked to the bathroom, gun up and ready. She flicked the door open and marched in, gun held up near her face, but it was also empty. She sighed as she looked around and tucked her gun back behind her jacket and into her pants. She whipped her eyes in exhaustion and began to feel like her body was weighing her down again. She walked back into her room and closed the door and placed the duffel bag on her bed, her body beginning to relax. Kim yanked and stretched before falling onto the bed next to the bag.

She sighed and shut her eyes, feeling their weight disappear as they closed. With a small exhale, she relaxed, feeling herself sink into the mattress. Her tense muscles began to calm as she felt her weight sink away. It had been a while since she had a good night sleep but she was out like a light in a few minutes.

Kim had only slept for a few minutes before she was interrupted by a familiar yelling outside and loud bangs on her door. She woke in a rush, unsure of what exactly was happening. She jumped out of bed and ran to the door, opening it harshly, desperate to stop the noise. She squinted her eyes at the figure, the light from behind them blinding her. She sighed once she saw who it wasn't. He did not look happy.

"Where were you?" Dean growled, pushing past her and into her motel room so that she had not time to close the door on his nose like she was planning. Kim rubbed her eyes and sighed before leaning on a wall and folded her arms, facing him as he waited for an exploitation he believed he deserved and it had become obvious that he had been the one to break into her motel room.

She rolled her eyes at his dramatic reaction. "Out," she stated, technically not lying.

"Don't lie," he growled at her. "Your duffel bag was missing, you went on a hunt," Dean accused. Kim sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose, being too tired to deal with him.

"Good observation. So what? I was on a hunt," she shrugged, not seeing the bother in it. "I was a hunters before I met you guys, ya know?" she sassed. "It was a simple salt and burn. It's finished and I'm back. No harm done," Kim finished, sitting on her bed, planning to roll onto her stomach and fall asleep, but Dean was determine to prove that she was wrong.

"No harm done? Then what's that?" Dean asked, pointing to her shoulder. Kim looked at where he pointed, confused. She had no idea what he was talking about. As her eyes deviated to her shoulder, she was surprised to see a short, deep gash dripping thick blood. She honestly wasn't sure how she got it, seeing that the ghost barley put up a fight. But a small fight was still a fight and she shrugged off her wound as minor. Kim shook her head and huffed, only now noticing the small scratches on her body.

"That's nothing. I didn't even notice it was there," she stressed, making sure he knew that she was fine. Kim went to get a roll of bandage from her first aid kit, not believing she needed stitches but Dean stopped her and went to go get it himself.

"I'll get it," Dean grouched, pushing her hand away from the first aid kit. Kim huffed dully before sitting back on the bed, taking her shoulder out of her top while Dean got the first aid kit. He gently grabbed her shoulder and started to wrap it, his hands gently grazing against her skin. She looked up from her wound at into his eyes, but he hadn't look back. She let out a small breath and focused on the pressure he was applying to her shoulder. The pain felt good, satisfying even. He secured the end of the bandage and slowly let her go, being careful not to hurt her.

"Thanks," she nodded. Dean got up and started walking to the door while she examined his first aid skills. Her blood had started to seep through the bandages already so she put her hand on it and pushed down before looking up to Dean who had stopped walking and turned to face her.

"You're welcome. Next time tell me you're leaving, we'll help. You're still a teenager," Dean said mindfully. Kim stopped what she was doing and stood up, leaving her shoulder alone. She watched as he was about to walk out the door, an angrily curious expression on his face.

"Why are you so obsessed with my age?" she asked. She was obviously annoyed about the fact that he brought it up all the time. She knew telling him would have been a bad idea, considering he's now using the fact that she was young to stop he from doing what she had always been doing. It just gave him another excuse to treat her like a child, stop her from hunting. Dean stopped in his tracks again and turned around to look at her, detecting the slight annoyance in her voice.

"'Cause I love how it irritates you." She knew it was a lie—for the most part—but she let it go knowing it could easily bring up things she never asked for. Kim sat and waited for him to leave, but he didn't, he just stood there for a second looking at her. He sighed and went to sit next to her and she really hope he would have the cutesy to not bring up anything that didn't need to be.

Dean sat on the bed next to her, their thighs barely touching, his hands in his lap as she looked down. He turned to face her and she did the same.

"I know this week had been tense. I'm still trying to figure things out about Sam... and you. This ability thing is not what I was trained to do. This is out of my league," he grouched with a soft sigh, obviously flustered as he looked back down to his hands. "I just need some time," he pleaded with a final sigh before looking up at Kim.

"I'm sorry." Was all she said. Her voice was soft and sweet, not harsh and rough how it usually is. It soothed him, making him feel a bit better about the situation. He smiled at her before petting her leg and getting up.

"Not your fault." His voice going back to normal, strong and in charge. Kim smirked at him as he walked towards the door but before he reached it, he stopped, turned around and looked over his shoulder and said:

"I bought ingredients for pancakes."

His lips drew a smirk, one she hadn't seen for a while. She looked up to it as if it was a reassurance that everything was going to be okay. Kim smiled and huffed, gladly following him into his shared motel room where she found the ingredients laid out on the kitchen bench, ready to be used. She smiled sadly, looking over the ingredients from the doorway. The warm morning light shone on them casting a small shadow.

The smell of dusty wood and plain flour reminded Kim of when she was younger, when nothing really bothered her. When life was simple and well rounded, when everything seemed fluffy and warm and the only thing that could make it better was a spoonful of her sisters sweet, homemade syrup—just like her pancakes.

•※•

Kim's hands were covered in batter as she placed two high towers of pancakes on the table and gave Dean a plate. Then, she set a small bowl of syrup next to it with a spoon to serve. She looked at her work proudly, each pancake a nice, round, perfect circle and the syrup was sweet and thick, just the way they were meant to be. A satisfied smile spread across Kim's face as she watched Dean take four pancakes form the pile and put them on his plate. He dripped the luscious syrup onto his stack and Kim watched at it stuck to the spoon, slowly oozing off, dripping down the layers. She watched the stream burst out of the fluffy cloud of pancakes as Dean stuck his fork and knife into them and she watched the complete pleasure on his face as he ate them.

Just the way she used to.

Kim smiled nostalgically and washed her hands, cleaning up the mess she had made while making them. She couldn't help but huff a laugh at the moans coming from behind her, the only other noise was the sound of cutlery clicking on his plate. By the time Kim had wash the dishes, Dean had another stack on his plate, pouring a large amount of syrup onto them from the bowl, licking clean the drip of syrup it caused as well as his sticky fingers. She scoffed with a smirk and sat on the kitchen bench, looking at him, wondering if she should eat one.

"Better than sex," he moaned before he put another large bite into his mouth. She smiled ghostly to herself. Watching him made her feel at home again. The pure pleasure on his face, the smirk on his lips, the syrup on his chin, the moans that escaped his mouth were all things Kim wished she could have experienced for her sister. She would have made her proud, yet she still didn't feel deserving of eating one.

Dean messily ate all of his pancakes, shovelling them into his mouth like he was hoarding nuts for winter. His lips and fingers were covered in syrup and bits of pancakes were flying off his paste as he ate them. With his last bite on his fork, he looked up at her as she watched him, the proudest smile on her face.

"Are you gonna stare at me or eat some pancakes?" Dean asked as he stared up at her. Kim looked into his eyes, the smiled ripped off of her face as the question ran through her mind. Instead, her mouth was open slightly, a bit taken back by the question. She looked to the pancakes, watching them mindfully, then back at Dean.

"No, I'm— I don't want any," she stuttered, looking away. Dean just shrugged and went to reach for another bunch.

"Don't you think that's a bit many, you've had eight already," Kim smirked. Dean sent her a dirty look.

"Hey," he grouched, "I'm a growin' man," he smirked before placing a stack of five on his plate, just to annoy her. He looked at her as he stared eating, sending that proud smile back onto Kim's face. She shrugged and scoffed, shaking her head at him.

"You'll regret it later," she confirmed as if it was obvious, but Dean couldn't care. He was entranced by the sweetness of the syrup and the warmness of the pancakes. The fresh, homemade meal was somethings he didn't get often, so he was prepared to keep eating until all the pancakes were done.

He looked up to Kim, a young girl stuck in the life of a hunter and wondered how she managed to learn how to make the most perfect pancake he had ever put in his mouth.

"Where's Sam?" Kim asked Dean, checking around the to see if he was there. Dean shoved some pancake in his mouth before he answered.

"I dropped him off at a nearby library. He doesn't even have anything to research, he's just bored," Dean scoffed. "Nerd," he laughed.

Kim huffed quietly at his joke, laughing a little. She missed the times over the past few months she had been with Sam and Dean where she could smile with them but her smile was ripped off her face when she felt a stream of steering white pain fly up her back, forcing her to scream. Her muscles tensed and her jaw clenched as another wave of boiling heat washed over her. Pain tingling up her fingers and sent up her arms, down her spine and into her knees. She felt them give was as she collapsed on the feel beneath her, falling to her knees. She went to scream again, trying to release some pain, some tension but she was so stiff she couldn't move. An unstoppable strike of pain hit her lower back, causing her to arch before falling to the floor. She couldn't move, the pain and heat saturated her body so completely she could barely breathe. She small breaths were sort and quick. Kim could feel her lungs losing air with ever breath to the point were she could feel her heart tense, muscles weaken and her brain was about to explode.

Another wave of pain hit her sending her into a spasming mess on the floor. She had no control, no help and no way out. She was trapped inside her body as she felt her flesh being ripped off of her bones, only to be replaced and ripped off again. The pains was so strong and hot she forced herself to scream sending a stinging pain down her dry throat. Kim felt another wave wash over her, worse than anything she had ever left before. Bone cracking, flesh ripping, teeth breaking, blood dripping, cut skin, breath taking, eye watering and heart clenching pain was sent down Kim's body. She let out a loud screech as she sat back up on her knees and took a deep breath in, filling her air with some much needed oxygen.

Kim was in so much pain she hadn't even realised that Dean had dropped his pancakes and crouched down near her. He looked at her hopelessly as Kim tried to catch her breath. He couldn't touch her, he couldn't help her, he couldn't do anything but watch and wait for her excruciating pain to be over.

Kim panted and looked up into his green eyes. She had never noticed how vivid they were until now, when she really looked at them.

"Sorry," she whispered. Dean shook his head at her apology and wondered why she would apologise for something out of her control. She was in so much pain, Dean could hear it in her screams, but she apologised to him with the first breath she got as if she was mandatory.

Dean realised that Kim's attack has finished as she tried to pick herself up off the floor. She grasped the table for support as she dragged herself up but her knees gave in and she started falling. Dean quickly grabbed her arm and helped her up before she fell.

"Stop apologising," he ordered as Kim leaned against the kitchen bench, still trying to catch her breath and relax her muscles. "Are you okay?" he asked. Kim looked up at him and smiled lazily.

"Yep, just another day," she assured. Though Dean didn't believe her, he nodded and sat back down at the table. There was a small silence in the room as the events ran through their head. Dean feel guilt for being useless and Kim felt useless because of her ability. As the silence became the loudest noise in the room, Kim began to feel heavy again. Her eyelids were dropping and her muscles were weakening, feeling fatigue take over her body.

Suddenly, she heard her phone ring in her pocket sending her eyes flying open and hunting skill in shock as she reached for her gun. Sighing, she released her gun and grabbed her phone, pulling it to her ear.

"Hey," she answered. Dean watched her as she flinched and pulled the phone away when a screaming woman on the other side of the line. Kim cringed as she listen to the women yell.

"Sorry Ellen— yes I know it been months. I said I'm— Okay! I'll call next time! What's up?" she asked, desperate to change the subject. Kim's scrunched face turned blank as she listen to Ellen.

"She's what!" Kim screamed. "Is she safe? Does she need help?" Kim let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in.

"Good. Give her one of your death glares for me— yes I know she's older than me— just do it. Thanks Ellen— yes I'll call— I said I will! Okay, bye."

Kim sighed and hung up, slipping her phone back into her pocket and wiping her head with the back of her hand.

"What was that?" Dean asked. She looked up at him and huffed.

"Ellen called to say that Jo is now hunting," she finished with a flat smile. "Told me to look out for her on the job."

"Will do," Dean nodded, a trace of worry also in him voice. Kim nodded softly at him before turning away, her eyes filled with concern for Jo. She knew Jo was desperate to go into the hunting life and be like her father, even after all the horrible comments and stories Kim and Ellen had told her to persuade her otherwise. Kim knew the day would come when Jo would go out for hunts—after all, it's in her blood. It's not something anyone can run away from—but she hoped it's would be years into the future or at least when Kim was there to help. But all she could do now is wait and listen, preying that no bad news from Ellen would ever come.

"You know," Dean said breaking the silence, "she's tougher than she looks. Don't worry about her," Dean assured. Kim laughed shortly and nodded.

"Yeah," she said reaching for her necklace, feeling it against her fingers. "I know."

Dean looked up at her sympathetically before putting his empty plate of pancakes in the sink and walked off, leaving Kim alone in the kitchen. She breathed in the fresh silence before huffing and exiting the motel room and going back to hers. She sat on her bed and grabbed her laptop and spent the rest of the day searching for a hunt. Staring at one end of the Internet and ending in the other. She changed sitting position more time than she could count, starting crossed legged on her bend and ending with her lying down with her legs up, leaning on the with her laptop on her stomach. Her fingers were rubbed raw from scrolling down hundred of different new pages and different websites but nothing popped up.

"Come on," she grouched. "The world is never out of monsters."

Every now and again she would get up to use the bathroom or walk out to the motels vending machine and buy a nut or chocolate bar. She even took a small nap so she could register herself again before she continued on her search. It's hadn't felt long, but she had spent hours searching, eating and napping throughout the day and before she knew it, it was almost eight o'clock at night.

Kim had just closed her laptop and got out of her awkward position on the wall when she heard her phone go off. Rubbing her tired eyes and pulling her phone out and answered it.

"Hello?" she asked drearily.

"Kim?" Dean sounded husky, groggy and sick. Kim smirked to herself.

"I told you too many pancakes would come and kick you in the ass," she laughed.

"Yeah, yeah," Dean hushed. "I just got a drunk text from Sam."

"Drunk text? How do you know he was drunk?" Kim asked.

"He sent a photo," he replied blankly. Kim scoffed to herself knowing how bad that photo could be.

"Drunk at eight. Didn't picture Sam to be that type of guy," Kim cheekily huffed.

"He's not. That's why I need you to go to the nearest bar and find him." Dean was sick, unwell yet he still seemed well enough to order everyone around. His voice was rough but filled with concern. The second the words left Dean mouth her heart sank. Kim knew no matter how much she didn't want to go find Sam, she had to. Not for Sam but for Dean.

Dean heard Kim sigh from the other line and she knew she dreaded going to see him. They haven't spoken a word to each other for days and now he's asking her to confront him, drunk him and take care of him, to bring him home safe. Dean knew it was a bit of an overstep but he was too sick to move. He could feel his stomach flip every time he took a step let alone drag his drunk brother back home.

"Yeah..." Kim sighed. "Yeah okay." With that, she hung up the phone and rolled off of her bed, changing her clothes from sweat pants and a baggy t-shirt to ripped jeans and a leather jacket, gathering the things she though she needed for her mission.

•※•

Kim drove to the nearest open bar. The gravelled parking lot was filled with cars and the cheap, flashy lights were buzzing. The imagery was something she was rather familiar with. She sighed and parked her car, praying that this was the bar Sam was in. She would hate to go on a wild goose chase to find him, some drunken ass that didn't want to see her anyway.

Grumpily, she walked into the filled bar, the smell of strong alcohol and noise of loud music filled her senses. Her eyes scanned the crowded bar for Sam, hoping to find him quickly and get out. She had only been in there a few seconds and she dreaded it. Normally, she liked getting into bars, having a few drinks and sneaking back to the Roadhouse without even Ellen knowing but this was different. Now, she had a job. One she is not motivated to do. She wasn't here to dance on tables, let loose and maybe get a few drink out of desperate men—she was here to find Sam.

Kim shuffled through the crowd of people and made her way to the bar seeing Sam as a the 'sit and talk' type of drunk. Maybe he was chatting with the bartender as they kept offering him drinks or maybe he found a poor stranger to talk too who was too polite to tell him to shut up.

The bar was long with multiple bartenders working behind it, almost every bar stool was taken by someone. Her eyes drew along the bar, searching for shaggy hair and a flannel but her eyes landed on a man siting in the corner, a few empty beer bottles and empty glasses whisky on the rocks scattered his table. Kim made her way towards the lonesome figure as she pushed through the people.

She saw him sitting lazily in his chair, slouched with an almost empty glass of whisky at the end of his fingertips, his face dead of expression. He looked lost in thought. Kim's lips fell into a line as she sat in the spear seat across from him. His puzzled gaze looked up to meet hers. Her eyes were filled with empathy and sorrow for him. His fingers played with the glass before he picked it up and chugged what was left of it.

"What do you want?" he asked blankly, avoiding eye contact. Kim sighed and tried looking into his averted eyes, attempting to make him focus.

"I'm here to take you home," she replied simply.

"I don't have a home," he slurred. She flattered her lips to make a line smaller than the last.

"I'm here to bring you back to Dean."

"Why? So he can continue to look at me like I'm a freak. Like _we're_ freaks," he continued. He didn't sound mad, just deep in thought. His sad expression stayed as she continued his story.

"You know why I called you back at Ellen's bar? Because I saw you," he stated simply, pointing to her. "Yeah, I saw you in my visions. You were screaming, dripping in sweat, writhing in pain and I knew the second I saw you... that you could help. You have somethin' to do with Yellow Eyes," he said blankly. Kim listened to him intensely. He seemed sad and over it. He seemed so over it. "You have _something_ to do with _something_! And—and I can't look at you cause I know what our fate is. We're murderers," he finished, slurring a bit. Even though his words weren't clear, his meaning was. He was afraid and guilty cause he knew he wasn't normal.

Kim looked up to the waitress that walked over to their table.

"I'll have a whisky, please," Kim said.

"I'll have—"

"He's fine," Kim said, cutting him off. The waitress smiled and walked off. "You've had enough," Kim said eyeing his table filled with empty drinks. Sam looked down to his drink, his back still slouched as he sat, almost falling off the chair. His sad expression quickly turned into a smile as he stared at his drinks.

"You know, I though Dean was short 'till I saw you. You're like... chest height," he laughed, gesturing to his shoulders, although he said chest. He sat up and holstered his elbows on the table, looking deeply into Kim's eyes as he leaned forward, his movements unexpected. The waitress came back with your drink, placing it down on the table.

"Thanks," Kim muttered before taking the drink and sipping in it.

"You..." Sam started, "you have very brown eyes. I never noticed how brown they were," he said looking into Kim's eyes, leaning closer so that he was stretching over the table and Kim was slowly backing up in her chair.

"And your eyelashes are really long," he observed, moving closer. Their noses were practically touching as Kim tried to shuffle backwards. Sam smiled quickly flicked her nose with his finger.

"Boop," he smiled, falling back into his seat, stealing her drink and chugging it down.

"Hey!" Kim exclaimed as she watched the drunk man steal her drink.

"Hey yourself! I'm doing you a favor. You're still underage," he sassed. Kim sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"Okay, I think you've had enough," she said gesturing to go, standing up and waited his Sam to do the same.

"No, I haven't had enough—"

"Well I have. I'm taking you back." Kim pulled Sam up out if his seat and dragging him though the crown, tugging him to her car.


	13. Chapter Eleven

Kim unconsciously curled further into her warm pillow back in her motel bed, the warmth was something she longed for. She could feel herself waking up and the events of last night played in her head but she refused to open her eyes in fear she wouldn't be able to close them again.

She had been out later than she thought, talking to Sam at the bar and only managed to get him home right before midnight. She dragged his drunken ass to and from the car, since he was too wasted to walk on his own, and threw him in bed. Dean was asleep on the couch with the motel light and TV still on. He had tried to stay awake and wait for Sam but Kim knew he hadn't been getting a lot of sleep, thinking about the current situation they were in. She didn't dare to wake him up, hunters needed all the sleep they could get.

Kim sighed, feeling her muscles become restless and her eyelids flutter open. She lifted her heavy head from the pillow and checked the clock to see it was only six am. She smiled to herself as she dropped her head back into the warmth. It was the first time in a while she got a full six hours of sleep. Kim wanted to fall back asleep again, knowing it would be a while until she got a good sleep like that again, so she pushed herself further into the soft material and sighed, hoping that God would give her a break and let her fall back into her peaceful slumber.

The second she began to feel sleepy again, Kim jolted upright by the loud banging on the door. Groaning, she rolled out of bed, her foot lazily tangled in the material and made her way to the door before swinging it open, not caring she was in her pajamas, revealing a very angry Dean. His face was red and a little sweaty along with white knuckles as he stared down at her.

"I thought you brought him home!" he spat at Kim but she was too out of it to understand what he was saying, she just stared at him for a second before moving out if the doorway to let him in. He marched into her room before spinning to look at her, waiting for an answer. She stared at him, her eyelids half closed as she stood with her shoulders hunched over.

"What?" she asked him suddenly as he rolled his eyes and wiped his face.

"Don't tell me you've got a hangover!" he barked. Kim's eyes immediately widened.

"Excuse you," she spat back. "Don't be an asshole, Dean. I don't have a hangover!" Dean growled at her before wiping his eyes, frustrated.

"Well, did you?"

"No!" she screeched in disgust.

"Where's Sam?" he asked, his voice deep and demanding, but Kim shrugged unfazed, too offended by Dean's outburst to care.

"I put him to bed last night," she replied.

"Well, he's not there now!" he shouted. Kim eyed him dangerously, not liking the tone he was using.

"I dragged his ass home and put him to bed!" she yelled. "You were asleep on the couch so I went back to my room and feel asleep! I did as you asked! Where is he now? I. Don't. Know." Her voice was deep and threatening, mirroring the tone Dean used on her.

Dean watched the girl closely. Only his farther had ever spoken to him like that and only when he was giving a direct order. He stood frozen with a hard look on his face before loosening his limbs and shuffling on the spot. Kim quickly got out of her threatening stance and slouched.

"You call Bobby, I'll call Ellen." Dean nodded and pulled out his phone as she did the same.

"Hey Ellen, have you seen Sam anywhere? ...No? Can you tell me if you see him? Dean is really worried—yes I'm worried too Ellen... I know. Uh—just—okay! Just call me if you see him. Dean called me to haul his drunken ass back to the motel from a bar last night and this morning he was gone. Um... I don't know. Wait a second." She pulled the phone away from her ear.

"Dean, is the Impala still here?"

"Yeah."

"The Impala's still here, Ellen... Okay, thanks. We really appreciate it. Okay—thanks. Bye... Yes—yeah I love you too. Thank you." Kim sighed and hung up the phone before turning to Dean who had done the same.

"Ellen hasn't seen him," Kim started.

"Neither has Bobby," Dean sighed, rubbing his forehead. Kim smiled sadly at him and took a step closer.

"Sam's tough but he's smart. If he doesn't want us to find him, he'll find a way to make sure we don't. I'm sure he'll show up soon," Kim nodded but Dean wasn't listening clearly. He wanted his brother back. "You know. He left the Impala which means he would have had to hitchhike or walk. He couldn't have gone too far. Do you wanna have a look?" Dean nodded stiffly.

"Yeah—yeah, let's do that," he said, running into his motel to grab his keys while Kim grabbed hers. They both agreed they could find him faster if they split up to cover more ground.

Kim caressed the wheel with her hand as she hopped into her car, sighing to herself as she watched Dean speed down the road, searching for his brother. Kim was understandably calmer about the situation than Dean, but she was still concerned. After living in the hunter's life and knowing what's out there, what's beyond the shadows, it was hard not to be worried when someone goes missing. There was just so much that could go wrong.

Kim started to drive in the opposite direction of Dean, looking out on the road for Sam or something suspicious, anything that might be out of place. She wasn't quite sure what she was looking for, the last time she went searching for someone close to her, she was too young to remember what signs to look out for. The months she searched were the first moths without family.

Kim's sister—Sarah—tried to take care of Kim in as many ways as possible by toughening her up and forcing her into the real world. Kim could see from a young age that Sarah was scared to take care of her, being responsible for someone at the age of thirteen. Kim might have been young, but she was smarter than any other eight-year-old she had ever met. The torture of the hunting life and the real world took a real toll on her, forcing her out of her childhood and into something no one should enter but it was the only way that Sarah could make sure Kim survived. To know the rules, to train and to be realistic and although Sarah had an almost fulfilling childhood, it was something she couldn't provide for Kim.

Kim's eye scanned the empty streets. The road was surprising lonely for it being so early in the day. One side of the rapid was filled with trees while the other was lined with deserted shops and milk bars. It was clear that she was heading out of town while Dean was heading further in. Kim turned on some music, listening to whatever was on the radio before looking at the time, wondering how long she had been heading down the lonely road for. It was already one in the afternoon and Kim and Dean had been on the road for hours and no sign of him.

Kim sighed and called Dean, asking if he had found him or anything suspicious. He hadn't and they both agreed to head back to the motel.

•※•

It had been a week and everyone was rowdy, including Ellen and Jo. Sam was still missing and Dean was going crazy which was driving Kim insane. She just wanted it to be back to normal more than ever where she would go back to hunting solo and everything would play out as she suspected, but she wouldn't dare leave Dean while Sam's still missing. As the days went on, Kim's faith in Sam's intelligence to stay alive out there by himself dwindled and she was now worried about where he was and who he was with. The worry was building up inside Kim and Dean and even though Kim was not the closest with Sam at the moment, she still worried for his safety.

Kim and Dean had been working a few cases here and there, moving between different motels and towns. The tension between Kim and Dean had loosened throughout the week and they found comfort in sticking together and hunting together while Sam was missing, although they wouldn't dare to admit it. Kim had even taken shotgun while driving to go on hunts and nothing had gone horribly wrong so far. The hunts were simple enough and no one was seriously injured and although Dean continued annoying Kim with multiple nicknames such as Shorty, Peanut, Shortcake and Squirt, she learned to laugh along although they annoyed her but Dean hadn't settled for one yet.

Dean and Kim had been going on multiple drives together, searching for Sam but they found nothing. As they drove down numerous streets, they prayed that after one whole week of Sam being missing, he was still okay because no one had any idea where he was.

After a few hours of driving, Dean parked the Impala under a bridge, next to a dirty river. They both stepped out and looked around, not moving far from the parked car. Not seeing him anywhere, Kim sighed and leaned against Baby before pulling out her phone and calling Ellen, hoping for some reassuring news. Kim smiled as she heard Ellen on the other end of the line.

"Hi Ellen, we haven't found him yet. Have you seen him?" Kim asked through the phone as Dean walked up to her.

"Is that Ellen?" Dean asked. Kim replied with a nod. Dean nodded back and quickly took the phone from Kim. She huffed and crossed her arms and she watched him pace around, searching for answers.

"Ellen, it's me. Any chance you've heard from him? ...I swear it's like looking for my dad all over again. I'm losing my mind here... No, I've called him a thousand times, there's nothing but voicemail. I don't know where he went, or why. Sam's just gone." Worry laced his voice, his eyebrows were furrowed and he seemed tried. Kim felt horrible for him, but there was nothing she could do and that mode her feel worse.

"Hang on. I'm givin' ya back to Kim," he said to Ellen as he passed Kim back her phone as he pulled out his own ringing one. Kim said goodbye to Ellen and thanked her before hanging up and looking at Dean. He answered the call and brought the phone up to his ear.

"Sammy?" he said, worryingly. Kim stepped towards him and listened to their conversation. "Where the hell are you? All right, don't move, I'm on my way," he said hastily before hanging up the phone and running to the driver seat. Kim hopped into the front as well and Dean sped off down the road to find his brother.

Kim felt the car jolt forwards as Dean drove, dramatically going over the speed limit. Kim took a deep breath, she wasn't scared. In fact, she loved going fast. The rush of adrenaline sent through her and the excitement it created, but she was worried about Sam.

"It's Sam. He's at some motel and he doesn't know what's happening." Those were the only words spoken throughout the car ride. Soon, they passed a sign that read 'Twin Lakes 100'.

And soon, they pulled up to the crappy motel. Dean and Kim rushed out of the car, slamming the doors closed and hurried inside the motel. The tension was starting to fill the air again. They were in a panic. Dean was petrified and Kim was not far off.

They rushed down the motel hallway, Dean and Kim frantically looking for the right door number. Their head snapped from door to door, getting more frustrated when they couldn't find the right number. They walked frantically down the narrow hallway, checking the door numbers until they reached room 109. Dean twisted the locked door knob and listen for Sam.

"Sam, it's me," Dean said, twisting the door knob. "Sam!" Dean yelled at his brother. They heard the door knob unlock as it opened slowly. Dean rushed through the door, Kim close behind as they entered the room.

"Sam?" Dean crept closer towards his younger brother as he sat on the motel bed numbly, his head down, not bothering to look up. He hadn't moved.

"Hey, Dean," he mumbled in a meek voice. Dean looked down at his brother, taking in his appearance, instantly looking for something wrong as did Kim. There was always something wrong. Kim crouched down in front of him had looked at his hands. She nudged Dean and pointed to the dry blood that covered his hands.

"Are you bleeding?" he asked concerned, only looking at his brother's hands. They were stained with blood.

"I tried to wash it off," he continued, looking at his hands. Kim looked up at him, before landing on a small amount of blood on his shirt, but it was covered by the baggy jacket he was wearing. Kim instantly panicked and pushed the jacket out of the way so she could see his bloodied shirt.

"Oh my God," Dean breathed as he watched Kim. The blood was dark red on his shirt, now clearly visible to both Kim and Dean. Kim inhaled quickly before pressing down on his stomach, feeling for any type of wound.

"I don't think it's my blood," Sam addressed, his voice was still so small compared to Dean's. It was tired, weak, meekly.

"Who's it?" Dean asked loudly, looking up at his brother. His eyes were full of concern, but Sam couldn't answer his question.

"I don't know," he replied honestly, shaking his head slightly. Dean and Kim looked at him, dumbfounded.

"Sam, what the hell happened?" Dean asked, looking back to the bloodied shirt again. Sam slowly looked up at Dean, his messy hair falling over his sad eyes and scared expression.

"I don't remember anything." They had to lean closer so they could hear him, his voice belong so faint and fragile. His eyes held unshed tears and his eyebrows knotted in worry. Dean looked to Kim. Kim could read his expression like an open book and Sam didn't know what to do and she didn't blame him. He had no idea what happened, a piece of his life blanked out only to regain conscience and find he was covered in dried blood with no injuries.

Kim wiped her mouth in shock as she crouched down to Sam's level. Dean got up and left the motel room after comforting his brother a bit more, to try and find some information. After he left, the room was silent. Sam's eyes were still on his lap and Kim could barely look at him without feeling pity or sympathetic. She knew he didn't want her pity. Sighing, Kim put her hand on Sam's knee catching his attention. His soft eyes met hers and his frown turned into a line.

"We'll figure this out," she said looking deep into his eyes as he stared back. It was the only reassuring thing she could think of saying without sounding pitiful and soft. "How about you take a shower?" Kim suggested, looking at his messy, tattered hair as a sign he hadn't already. Without saying anything, Sam nodded slowly and got up carefully, as if he was stunned and shuffled his way to the bathroom.

Kim watched him entered the room, slowly closing the door behind him. Kim huffed and sat on the bed, running her hand through her hair. Her soft tangles draped over her fingers as she thought about the unfortunate, confusing situation she was in. It was a constant struggle with herself, to keep herself sane, she could only imagine how Dean was feeling about the whole thing.

After a few minutes, Sam walked out of the bathroom fully dressed. His head was down as she walked back into the open area where Kim was. He sat on the bed next to her. Slowly, she turned to observe him, scanning all the injuries on his face. She let out a breath before grabbing her first aid kit from her duffel bag and turned back to Sam.

His head was still down even though he knew what she was doing. He didn't want to look up because it meant facing the things he knew he did. He had hurt someone and he knew it, the blood was only proof.

"Look at me," she said firmly. He didn't. His head stayed down and out of sight. "Look at me," she ordered, her voice strong and demanding. Kim sighed and grabbed his chin, pulling his face up. Their eyes met as she scanned his face for any serious injuries. She couldn't see anything major except an acute, deep scratch on his forehead. Kim slowly disinfected it and poured rubbing alcohol on it, causing Sam to wince. Then, she sipped it dry and bandaged it, pushing his hair back in the process so that it wouldn't get into the cut.

She finished and stepped back, not really expecting a thank you. They hadn't spoken much, except for those same few words here and there and the tension was quickly thickening. She knew they couldn't go on like this and now—while Dean was out the room—seemed like a good time to clear things up.

Kim sighed as she sat down next to Sam, preparing her words in her head. She argued with herself, wondering if she should even say anything at all. She was never the type to solve problems or try and fix things if it meant being overly compassionate. She would never do that and she didn't plan on doing it then. Even though she never voiced her emotion in any way, shape or form—she needed to clear things up with Sam, even if he didn't respond, she knew she did nothing wrong.

"Look, I know you're mad at me or something because I have an ability, but this has to stop. I don't care if you don't like me. I don't care if you hate me, but you have to work with me because you called me back. So either build a bridge or suck it up and speak to me 'cause it isn't fair to Dean," Kim demanded as they both stared straight ahead, not wanting to look at each other. She heard Sam sigh annoyed beside her.

"It's not that I'm mad at you. I just... our fate is set. With this curse, we are murderers. We create pain. We are the creatures we hunt. And after this—" Sam explained gesturing to himself. "I just don't trust... us." Kim nodded her head alongside Sam.

"You should never trust anyone, anyway," she replied pessimistically, not looking up at him. He slowly turned to look at her, invisibly shocked by her answer. He never thought he would hear her say something like that. Sadness laced her voice, something he would expect from Dean, not Kim. Before he could respond, Dean walked through the door carrying a grocery bag.

"What'd you find out?" Kim asked him before Sam could speak, eager to move on. She could feel his stare still on her as Dean entered the room, still shocked.

"You checked in two days ago under the name Richard Sambora. Of course, I think the scariest part about this whole thing is the fact that you're a Bon Jovi fan," he said to Sam, who had slowly turned his gaze to meet his brother. He got up from the couch to meet him.

"Dean," Sam replied seriously.

"Your room's been quiet, nobody's noticed anything unusual," Dean continued, pursing his lips.

"You mean no one saw me walking around covered in blood?" Sam asked shocked.

"Yeah. That's what I mean."

"Then how the hell did I get here, Dean? What happened to me?"

"I don't know. But you're—you're okay, and that's what matters. Everything else we can deal with," Dean sighed.

"Oh really? 'Cause what if I hurt someone? Or worse?"

"Sam..." Kim sighed sympathetically.

"What if this is what Dad warned you about?" Sam rushed, staring at Dean.

"Hey, whoa, whoa, come on man, let's not jump the gun here," Dean slightly growled, eyeing him Kim since she didn't know what they were talking about.

"What did John say?" Kim interrupted, curious to what John had said,

"He told Dean to kill me if I couldn't control my ability!" Sam spat in disgust.

"We don't know what happened. We've just got to treat this like, like any other job. What's the last thing you remember?" Dean said changing the subject as Kim sat in shock. She knew John was tough and ruthless but she never thought he would kill his son.

Sam went back to the bed and sat down.

"I remember a bar and Kim. She took me to her car and put me in bed," he explained.

"That—that's was over a week ago," Dean said astonished.

"That's it," Sam added as Dean looked around, stunned. "Next thing I knew I was sitting here. Bloody. Felt like I'd been asleep for a month."

"Okay. Retrace your steps." Dean wandered around the room, looking for clues. Kim did the Sam. "The manager said you left yesterday afternoon and he never saw you come back, so—"

"Hey," Kim intervened, pulling back motel curtains to reveal a bloody fingerprint on the window. Dean and Sam turned their attention to Kim, quickly walking over to her to see what she was talking about. She watched as Sam exhaled loudly, disturbed.

•※•

Sam, Dean, and Kim were walking around the area, trying to toggle Sam's memories. The day was sad and miserable. Clouds covered the sky and the air was extremely cold. The sky looked as if it was about to rain any second but everyone was too concerned to care.

"Recognise anything?" Dean asked as Sam looked around. They were just outside the motel, only a few cars in sight and an old building.

"Not really," Sam sighed skating his head.

"Well we've only taken a few steps outside the motel, don't get too discouraged," Kim added, walking off. The boys followed her.

"Wait." Sam stopped walking and stared at something.

"What?" Dean asked, following his gaze.

"I think I was here." Kim looked at him and then what he was looking at.

"Great. Just what we needed, a creepy alleyway," she sighed sarcastically.

"It's just, feels familiar. Ya know?" Sam said quietly. Kim looked down the alleyway and saw it had a few garage doors.

"Do any of the doors seem familiar to you?" Kim asked. Dean tried to open the first one but Sam pointed to another.

"Try that one," Sam said, pointing to the second one. Dean tried opening the door but it was locked. "Wait." Sam pulled a key out of his pocket suspiciously and slowly handed it to Dean who had a very worried expression on his face. Kim looked to Sam who was too startled to look.

"I'm sure it's fine," Kim assured, uncomfortably with her hands stuffed him her jacket pocket but Sam gave her a sad smile anyway.

Dean put the key in the lock and twisted. It fit. Dean sent an unsure look towards Kim and gestured for her to follow him. She helped Dean pull up the garage door, revealing a belated down old Beetle car hidden in the shadows of the dark garage.

"Oh, please tell me you didn't steal this," Dean scoffed. Dean and Sam poked their head into the car, searching for anything as Kim check the exterior.

"More blood," Sam rushed as he wiped the steering wheel with his finger.

"Sam, back seat." Dean pointed to the back seat as Sam picked but a bloody knife with sticky, drying blood on it. All three of them watched in shock, frozen, blank expressions on Dean and Kim's face as they stare at the knife.

"You think I used this on someone?" Sam asked, scared.

"I'm not thinking anything," Dean grunted as Sam looked up at Kim, asking for an answer.

"I think whatever happened, it wasn't you," Kim sadly smiled.

"Okay, now this is disturbing," Dean said holding up an empty packet of cigarettes. "Come on, man, Kim's right, this couldn't have been you. Had to be someone else. Someone who, uh—" he sniffed the packet "—smokes menthols," Dean added, throwing the packet to the ground.

"Hey, cash recite," Sam said holding up a scrunched up piece of paper. "A few towns over."

•※•

The three of them pulled up to a gas station in the Impala, parking it in one of the gas pumps.

"Recites for two gallons at pump number two," Dean clarified, pointing to the gas pump behind him as he stared at the paper. "Getting any goosebumps?" Dean casually sassed. Kim huffed at his comment from the back seat. She watched as Sam looked around, ignoring his comment. "'God this looks familiar', déjà vu vibes?" Sam just shook his head.

"Maybe someone inside remembers him?" Kim suggested, looking at the cashier.

"Come on," Dean said and they both followed him out of the car and into the store. The door opened with a small 'ding' and the cashier looked up in shock and horror.

"You. Outta here now! I'm calling the cops," He rushed quickly, picking up the phone.

"You talking to him?" Dean asked, pointing to Sam.

"Yeah, I'm talkin' to him! Jerk comes in yesterday, sticking drunk, grabs a forty from the fridge, starts chugging it."

"Him? This guy right here with the puppy dog eyes?" Kim asked him, again pointing to Sam.

"You're drinking malt liquor?" Dean asked. The guy huffs.

"Not after he whipped the friggin' bottle at my head." Dean listened to him in disbelief.

"This guy?"

"What, am I speaking Urdu?" He sassed angrily.

"Look, I'm really sorry if I did anything—" Sam apologized genuinely.

"Tell your story walkin', pal. Po-po will be here in five," he said holding the phone to his ear.

"Whoa. He's leaving, he's leaving. Put the phone down." The man stopped and looked at him. "Sam, go wait in the car," he ordered.

"Dean—"

"Go wait in the car." His voiced raised. Sam looked at Dean and then to Kim for backup. She just shrugged her shoulders and whispered a 'sorry' as he walked out the store.

"Hey, look. I just wanna talk to you, that's it," Dean said putting his hands up in surrender. "Okay?" The man put the phone down and sighed angrily. "Now when he took off yesterday, which way did he go?"

"Why don't you ask him?" The guys asked sarcastically.

"'Cause I'm asking you. Now please, you'd be doing me a huge favor," Dean said. The guy smirked.

"Oh, do you a favor? Well, that is what I live for. You know, your buddy didn't pay for the booze. Okay? Or the smokes, which he also illegally lit up." Dean rolled his eyes.

"Sam doesn't smoke," Kim corrected.

"The guy's a chimney," he said directly to Kim, she huffed a laugh earning a small smile from the cashier. She watched as he looked her up and down, ignoring Dean who was staring at him. Dean groaned and pulled out his wallet from his pocket and laid out some money.

"This ought to cover it," Dean said with a sarcastic smirk.

"It's, uh, coming back to me now. He took two packs." Dean huffed angrily as his lips pressed into a line, pulling out another note.

"Of course he did." The guys smiled and took the money.

"He went north. Route 71, straight outta town." Dean nodded listening to him. He smirked, grabbed two candy bars and walked out. Kim was about to follow when a voice stopped her.

"Hey. Can I get your number?" The guys asked Kim. She smirked, biting her lip, stopped and leaned against the doorway seductively. He smirked at her and she softly laughed, shaking her head.

"You didn't make me laugh that much," she said with a smile before walking out.


	14. Chapter Twelve

"Dean, wait! Wait, here. Turn down that road," Sam addressed rapidly, waking Kim up from her half an hour nap that she managed to take in the back of the Impala. They had been driving for too many hours and Kim would have thought that after so long, the night would eventually turn into day but the darkness around them loomed over them stronger than t had when she fell asleep. Kim looked up, slightly dazed, and watched as Sam pointed down a road they were about to pass.

"What?" Dean asked.

"I don't know how I know, I just do," Sam rushed out, eyeing the road suspiciously. Dean nodded and turned down that road with a fierce swerve, sending Kim flinging side wards as they moved with the car. Sam looked nervous as they drove down, the only light was the Impala's car lights shining on the road. It was obvious to Kim that the further they traveled down the road the more uneasy Sam was becoming.

"You okay, Sam?" Kim asked. Sam turned around to face her and slowly nodded, his lips pressed tightly in a line before turning back.

Dean parked the car at the end of the road in front of an old-fashioned, two story house that looked like it belonged to someone well off but the night was so dark that it made the colours of the walls look dull. The house looked abandoned, hidden almost from the rest of the world. It hadn't surprised them that their destination was down a secluded road that they would have missed if Sam hadn't pointed it out. They stepped out of the car and immediately a light turned on, flashing in their face.

"Whoever lives here, I'd say they don't like surprises," Sam said, staring into the light. They walked up to the door, no lights were on in the house. Kim looked around, over her shoulder and inspected the surroundings. It looked creepy and felt eerie. The cold night air brushed against their skin in the pitch blackness that surrounded the house. The house was made of creaky wood and covered in cobwebs and it turned out that the house was indeed colourless.

"Should we knock?" Dean asked, looking to Sam for reassurance, but before he could answer, Kim already knocked. She banged three times on the door with the side of her fists, knowing it would create a deeper sound than her knuckles, earning a look from Dean.

"What? I knocked," she said simply. Dean shook his head at her as she rolled her eyes. "No one's gonna answer anyway. This house screams 'abandoned'."

Sam went to the window next to the door.

"Hey, look at this," he said shining his light on the broken window, glass shattered on the floor and windowsill.

"I'm surprised the cops didn't show," Dean added. "Place like this you'd think it'd have an alarm," he said while checking out the window.

"Like I said, 'abandoned'," Kim nodded but was ignored as they all continued to inspect the house. Sam walked to the side of the house to find a metal alarm box on the wall, opened. The wires cut and broken.

"Yeah, you would." Sam chose to ignore Kim, responding to Dean instead. Kim followed him and looked at it.

"Shit," she muttered, knowing that it wasn't a good sign for Sam. All three of them walked into the house, not surprised to see that the walls were falling apart, glass was shattered on the floor and the furniture was ruined and pulled apart. The floor was covered in filth of destruction. They all walked down a corridor, Kim behind them and into a room. Dean shone his light on a lump on the floor.

"Hit the lights." Sam turned on the lights, which blinded them for a moment before they saw a man's body lying on his side on the floor, his back facing them. Dean leaned down and with costive movements and slowly turned him over. Blood stained the man's face and the carpet below him, a thick red line across his throat indicated how he died. Kim's face fell blank at the sight, pressing her lips together in concern but it was nothing compared to the complete horror on Sam's face as he convinced himself that he was the one who caused this.

"Dean, I did this," he muttered.

"We don't know that," Dean assured.

"What else do you need? How else do you explain the car, the knife, the blood!?" Sam asked rapidly, his tone growling in shame. He was convinced he did it, his tone showed it.

"I don't know man. Why don't you tell me!?" Dean yelled before calming down and shaking his head slightly. "Look, even if you did do this I'm sure you had a reason, you know, self-defense, uh, he was, he was a bad son of a bitch. Something!" It sounded as if Dean was trying to convince himself that it wasn't Sam. Dean's hands rushed over the body, feeling for something.

"He doesn't have any ID."

Sam's eyes scattered the room.

"Dean, I need your lock pick."

"What?"

"I need your lock pick," Sam repeated as he walked over to a locked closet. Hesitantly, Dean handed it to him and only seconds later, the door was open.

"Holy—"

"Shit," Kim huffed astonished. The closet was a room filled with guns mounted to a wall and polished to perfection, papers covered in research, satanic symbols Kim knew all too well and pictures much like hunters research.

"Either this guy's a Unabomber or—"

"He's a hunter," Sam and Kim said at the same time, Sam breathing in remorse.

"Dean, I think I killed a hunter," Sam replied astonished. Kim scratches the back of her neck, wondering why she was still here. She knew she was just dragging herself into the mud but tainting her name with theirs, but before she could make her mind about leaving, her eyes drifted to the roof, finding a small camera.

"Well, there's only one way to be sure," Kim muttered, pointing to the camera. The boys stare at the camera in the corner of the room longingly as Kim rushed to the computer to find the video. She typed on the keyboard as Sam watched over her shoulder impatiently. "Here," she said, playing the video.

The screen was dark and blurry. The camera wasn't the best quality but it showed them exactly what they feared. Sam had burst through the door and attacked the man, no motive found. Sam then punched and kicked him violently, giving the man barely any time to fight back. Sam was fast, agile and scary. A horrid expression was on his face that Kim had never seen in him. Kim watched shocked, her mouth hung open slightly as she watched. There was no denying it was Sam.

Sam sent a heavy punch to the man's face, sending him violently flying to the floor. They watched as Sam grabbed the bruised, helpless guy and pulled his head up showing his neck. Sam grabbed his knife and placed it on his throat, slowly swiping it across, resorting in a painful death. He let the man drop to the floor as he rose from the ground. He wiped his bloodied hands on his shirt emotionlessly, effortlessly.

Dean looked up from the computer and looked at Sam, he could feel his glaring eyes on the side of his head as he stared at the screen.

Quickly, Dean started wiping the area down, making sure to get rid of all of Sam fingerprints as Sam sat in shock and dread, reading an open letter in his hands. Dean was frantic, sure that the police would be there soon. They needed to get out of there as soon as possible, for Sam's sake.

"How do you erase this? Huh? Sam," Dean ordered, hitting Sam's ears to get his attention. "Come on, I need your help."

"I killed him, Dean," Sam replied blankly. "I just broke in and killed him." Dean sighed and looked around.

"Listen to me. Whoever this guy is, he's a hunter. Which means that other hunters are going to come looking for his killer, which means we've got to cover our tracks, okay?" he rushed but Sam hadn't listened to a word he had said, almost feeling as if the only proper thing for him to do is to let himself be caught.

"His name was Steve Wandell. This is a letter from his daughter," Sam rasped angrily, throwing the piece of paper out of his hands. Sam was shattered. His face was bare, frozen in disgust as he stared off into the distance, so disappointed with himself.

"Okay, wait a minute. Stop blaming yourself. You woke up in a dingy motel room covered in blood that wasn't yours and figure out that you killed someone. Right?" Sam nodded his head.

"We literally skipped the fact that you don't remember any of it. You have no recollection of the last few weeks. That can mean a lot of different things," Kim explained to Sam before quickly switching her attention to Dean who was grabbing the computer roughly.

"I know how to erase it, Dean. Ash taught me some stuff—" Kim was interrupted by a loud crash in her ear. Sam and Kim shot their heads to see Dean throwing the computer on the floor, smashing it with his foot making sure to get rid of the evidence. "Or you could do that," she sighed.

The room fell silent for a few seconds, Sam looking up at Dean astonished.

"Wipe your prints, then we go," Dean demanded, throwing a towel at him. Dean looked up at Kim and nudged his head towards the door, gesturing to follow him out. Kim sent a look towards Sam.

"Do you want any help?" she asked but he just shook his head so she following Dean.

•※•

"We get a couple hours sleep before we put this place in our rear view mirror," Dean stated as they walked into the motel room. The car ride up was awkward and silent, no one said a word although everyone had something to say. "Look, I know this is bad, okay? You gotta snap out of it," Dean told Sam, who was sulking around the room. The room stayed quite as Kim distanced herself from the brothers. As Dean unpacked his bag rapidly, he looked up at Sam who was pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Sam, say something!" Dean yelled as Kim leaned up against the motel wall, arms crossed over her chest. It was too unlike Sam to try and kill anyone innocent.

"Just get some sleep and leave in the morning?" Sam quoted, disgusted with the words that had come out of his brothers mouth. "Murder, Dean. That's what I did," he spat.

"Sam—" Kim started.

"Maybe, okay? Hey, we don't know—shapeshifter," Dean suggested. Kim could see that Dean didn't believe it any more than she did.

"Oh, come on. You know it wasn't, you saw the tape. There was no eye flare, no distortion."

"Sam—" Kim said again, but she kept getting cut off.

"Yeah, but that wasn't you! All right? I mean, yeah, it might have been—" Dean gestures to Sam's body "—you, but it wasn't you."

"What do you think happened, Sam? Huh? Think rationally here, instead of instantly blaming yourself like a humble idiot!" Kim yelled. They both shut up and looked to her. "Do you really think it was you? Sam, you're destroyed over the fact that you might have killed someone, do you really think you could do something like that! And let's not forget that fact that you don't remember a week of your life! Or do you think you sleep-murdered someone?" Kim yelled at him. Dean nodded his head in agreement.

"See," Dean said pointing to Kim. "Kim gets it."

"I know it's hard, you just figured out that you were somehow involved in someone's murder but you have to stop blaming yourself. What if it wasn't you? What if there's a bigger problem out there that we're not looking at because you immediately blamed yourself!" Sam looked at her solemnly.

"I think it was me," Sam murmured before sitting on the bed. "I think maybe more than you know."

"What the hell does that mean?" Dean asked, taking a seat next to Sam on the bed. Sam took a deep breath.

"For the last few weeks, I've been having these feelings." Dean raised an eyebrow at Sam then looked to Kim.

"What feelings?"

"Rage. Hate. And I can't stop. It just gets worse. Day by day, it gets worse." He was looking up at them from his eyebrows.

"You never told me this."

"I don't wanna scare you." Dean licked his lips and slapped Sam's knee.

"Well, bang-up job on that," Dean hissed sarcastically, patting his knee as he stood up from the bed.

"Dean, the Yellow-Eyed Demon, you know he has plans for us," he said looking to Kim. "And we all know that he's turned other children into killers before, too."

"No one can control you, but you."

"Sure doesn't feel like that Dean," Sam replied. "It feels like no matter what I do, slowly but surely I'm, I'm just becoming—"

"What?" Kim asked harshly, getting defensive.

"Who we're meant to be. I mean you said it once yourself Dean, I gotta face up to who I am."

"I don't mean this!"

"But it's still true!" Sam yelled getting up from the bed. "You know that! Dad knew that too. That's why he told you if it ever came to this—"

"Shut up, Sam," Dean barked. Sam looked down at his brother as he walked up to him. Kim stood in the distance slightly convinced by what Sam argued. Although she had not been getting the same feelings as Sam, she couldn't help but feel he was right—that John was right. That her story was going to end with her becoming what she hunted.

"You promised Dad. You promised me." Dean shook his head and looked away from him, slightly meeting the eyes of Kim.

"Look, you're scaring Kim," Dean said, pointing to her. Kim crossed her arms dramatically.

"I'm not scared!" she argued defensively. "I'm just thinking," she muttered, looking away from Sam's sad eyes. Sam started to slowly walk towards Kim.

"Kim, I'm sorry but I think—"

"I know what you think." She cut him off. "I don't wanna hear it," she finished softly. An overwhelming feeling of sorrow fell upon Kim as she realised what she was and what she would become. Her eyebrows burrowed, disappointed in herself as she felt her heart beat meekly. She didn't know what was happening to Sam or herself and she didn't know what the Yellow-Eyed Demon wanted but she knew one thing; she knew she was a disappointment to her family. To her mother, to her father, to her sister and to John. If Sam was correct, her existence tainted the blood of her family.

As Sam stepped closer she shook it off, standing up straight, her eyes emotionless like they always were and sadness weighing on her shoulders. She looked up to Sam as confidently as possible as she brushed it off, getting rid of everything that weighed her down. If Kim was anything, she was strong.

"No," she said blankly. "I don't know about you, but I'll never become what the Yellow-Eyed Demon plans. Not me."

"No, listen to me," Dean started, getting Sam's and Kim's attention. "We're gonna figure this out. Okay? I'm mean, there's gotta be a way, right?" he said, mostly to Sam.

"Yeah, there is." Sam took a handgun from his duffel, shoved it towards Dean. "I don't want to hurt anyone else. I don't want to hurt you." Dean looked at the gun without taking it. The pain, the sorrow, the anger kept building up as his eyes watered over. The climb was easy and it's made its way to the top, where it was about to overflow. Sam breathed heavily, his heart clenching as he held the gun out.

"You won't. Whatever this is, you can fight it," Dean replied.

"No. I can't. Not forever," Sam murmured, tearing up. "Here, you gotta do it." Sam blinked away his tears as he pushed the gun into Dean's hands.

There was a silence where they stared at each other for a long moment, then Sam grabbed Dean's right hand and placed the gun in it but Dean didn't move, he just stood there in shock.

"You know, I've tried to hard to keep you safe," Dean started.

"I know." Dean looked up at his little brother, tears in his eyes and the only thing he wanted to do was wipe them away. He could see the pain in his eyes, but not once did he consider using the gun.

"I can't." There was a silence. "I'd rather die," Dean rasped, chucking the gun on the bed, leaving Sam there. Kim let out a breath. Sadness and anger clenched her heart.

"Then what, Sam? Was he supposed to kill me next?" Kim asked. Sam looked over at her blankly rushing over to him. "You can't just give up!" Sam expression changed wickdly.

"No, you'll both live. Live to regret this." Sam grabbed the gun and hit Dean and Kim, knocking them out. Sam casually walked out of the motel room, slamming the door behind him.

•※•

Kim eyes fluttered opened with resistance as Kim finally awoke from her unconscious state. Her eye lids were so heavy that she was almost convinced just to let them fall again so she didn't have to struggle. As her eyes opened, her head started to spin and the furniture around her followed as she lifted her head. Kim sighed painfully and as her head laid bare causing her to have a migraine after the hard hit. She bucked violently, putting her hand on the floor for balance as she lifted herself up.

Her legs were weak, wobbling as she stood up. Everything's was blurry so she blinked hard and her eyes adjusted to see an unconscious Dean laying on the floor beside her. Kim rubbed her temples with a groan and stumbled over to Dean and shook him awake.

Dean shook his head rapidly and looked up to Kim, his eyes heavy too as she closed her eyes and took a long breath in an attempt not to throw up. Kim put a hand on Dean's shoulder and Dean clung to Kim's arm as she helped him up and onto the bed. Kim plonked herself down next to him and rubbed her eyes tired and sore.

"Do you know where Sam went?" Dean asked and Kim just shook her head, sighed and fell back on the bed. Suddenly there was a knock on the door and Dean got up to get it while Kim laid and tried to reduce her migraine. Kim squinted her eyes and pressed her lips in a line of annoyance. She placed both of her hands on her forehead, fingers spread pressing into her head.

She couldn't hear the conversation Dean was having and in her state,she honestly didn't care. Her mind was constantly on reducing her migraine. She pressed hard on her head and slowly it subsided; it lingered painfully but she had too much to concern about to let it bother her anymore. Suddenly, Dean turned to her and told her to pack her things and they walked out into the lobby.

The lobby was empty and she saw the owner counting a stack of money as Dean picked up the phone. She raised an eyebrow, curiously.

"Hi, uh, so sorry to bother you, but uh, my son snuck out of the house last night and, uh, went to a Justin Timberlake concert." Dean paused for a second and looked to Kim. "What? Yeah. No, Justin is quite the triple threat. Uh, anyway, he's not back yet, and, and I'm just, I'm starting to worry." There was another pause and Kim raised an eyebrow. "Right. Yeah, boys will be boys. But see, Sammy is a diabetic, and uh, if he doesn't get his insulin, I just, I have to find him. Please, I'm begging you. Yeah, no, no, no, I'm on the website right now, I just need to activate the GDS on his cell phone." Dean entered a password.

"Yeah, right there. Duluth, Minnesota. Yeah, that is a long way to go for a concert. I appreciate your help." With that Dean hung up the phone, wrote down the address and nodded to Kim as they headed to the Impala to go to their destination.

•※•

They had been driving for a while, the sky was turning dark and there were no cars on the road. The trip was silent even though they had much to say, both of them dreaded where they were going and what they were going to face.

Kim sat in the front seat of the Impala, twitching in anger. Her fingers silently tapping the window and her leg shook as she stared straight ahead with lowered eyebrows and murder in her eyes. She was hot and flustered with frustration and impatience as Dean drove as fast as he possibly could, but it was never fast enough for Kim.

They had discovered that Sam was heading to a bar a few towns over. Without hesitation or further reassured they rushed to the car and made pursuit to the bar. The bar was not special ad it had no connection to Kim until she started her research. After a few minutes, she and figured out that Jo had been hiding out there while on her hunts.

She could feel the heat of rage running through her as they spread down the highway. An unfathomable rage filled Kim and she couldn't help but fidget restlessly. Kim clenched her jaw and turned to look out the window as she counted the seconds.

After what felt like countless, restless, silent hours, which was actually half an hour, they made it to their destination. Dean swerved into an empty car park rapidly and impatiently. The rocky road flung up, creating a cloud of dust. As the car started to slow down Kim pushed her door open and rolled out ignoring Dean's growls behind her. Picking herself up off the dusty floor she had rolled on, she sprinted to the empty bar and hastily pushed her way through the front door, her anger now mixing with fear.

"Jo!" Kim yelled, desperately. She eyed the scene rapidly, scanning the room in search for Jo when she saw her tied Jo tied to a wooden pole with Sam standing near her holding a knife out towards Kim. She watched as Sam smiled obviously as he cheekily stepped forward. Kim charged towards Sam, pulling the iron knife out from her waistband and holding it in position.

Kim swung at Sam's head, seething in rage but he ducked causing Kim to stumble forward from force. Kim sharply turned around and punched Sam in the face, causing him to stumble. She swung at him again, slicing his forearm. Sam stopped and looked at his wound, seemingly unfazed and Kim stood still, panting slightly. Sam's lips twisted into a grin before looking back up.

"How cute," Sam cooed at Kim before she charged again. She swung twice for his chest but he jumped back. Quickly, Kim kicked him the stomach and dropped the ground, sweeping the feet causing him to fall. She pounced on him, straddling his hips holding a knife to his throat, anger pouring from her skin. "You know, I underestimated you." Sam smiled, unfazed by her attack. Kim pressed the knife harder to Sam's throat, drawing a small line of blood.

"Everyone does," Kim growled. Sam smirked, about to speak when a noise ahead ripped both of their attention away.

"Sam!" Dean yelled as he ran into the bar, holding out his gun. He saw Kim holding her knife to Sam's throat and his eyes immediately darkened. "Kim, get off," Dean warned. Kim licked her lips, dangerously.

"Why? So he can kill Jo?" Kim spat.

"You know you can't do anything with a knife. You're just angry!" Dean yelled as she watched Sam smile. Kim was so desperate to ripped the knife into his flesh, but she knew Dean was right. She ripped herself off of him and stormed back to Dean, staring at Sam as he got up.

"Angry doesn't begin to describe it," she seethed.

Sam put the knife to Jo's throat and Kim gulped in anger. "I begged you to stop me, Dean!" Sam yelled.

"Sam, put the knife down, dammit," Dean ordered.

"I told you I can't fight it!" Sam spat. "My head feels like it's on fire, all right? Dean, kill me or I'm gonna kill her. Please. You'll be doing me a favor," Sam breathed, begging Dean to end it. "Shoot me." Sam took the knife from Jo's throat and Kim let go of the breath she was holding. "Shoot me!"

Kim watched as Dean stood still, aim still high. "No, Sammy, come on." Dean lowered his gun, the anger in Kim only boiled further as she watched Jo struggled under Sam's knife and she became furious, grabbing Dean spare gun from his waistband and cocking it. "Kim," Dean warned hastily. Kim shuffled on her feet for a second, marching forwards so she was ahead to Dean.

"What the hell's wrong with you, Dean? Are you that scared of being alone that you'd rather let Jo die?" Sam yelled, but Dean ignored him, eyes staring at Kim.

"I know Sam's your brother but Jo is my sister," Kim breathed in anger, aiming for Sam's head but her finger wasn't on the trigger. Dean put his hands up to try and calm her down.

"Think about this, Kim," Dean said wearily and she did. Kim thought about it for a second before angrily uncocking the gun and chucking it to Dean. Kim's eyes caught Jo's, who looked betrayed and hurt and although that look killed her, she knew she was doing the right thing.

Kim looked to Dean who had turned around and grabbed a flask out of his pocket. Kim met Dean's eyes, and Dean looked at the flask then to Kim and she nodded. Together they turned and flung holy water on Sam, watching him stumble backward. 'Sam' steamed up, his hands up to cover his face.

"That's holy water you demonic son of a bitch!" Dean growled as Sam looked up angrily at them. Dean kept hitting 'Sam' with holy water as Kim flew down to untie Jo.

"He was possessed?" she asked Kim who helped her up. They watched as 'Sam' jumped out of the window to shield himself. "How did you know?" she asked. The two girls watched as Dean didn't answer, just sending them a glare before going after his brother.

Kim didn't listen to her, as she held on to Jo's face with both of her hands, scanning her for any major injuries. Quickly, her hands moved to her shoulders so she could get a better look at her. Kim looked Jo up and down carefully before pulling her into a tight hug and sighed in relief.

Kim groaned as she helped Jo to a barstool, sitting her down on it before pouring her a shot of whiskey. Kim slid the shot to her before grabbing some equipment and shoving it in her waistband.

"Drink," Kim said, nodding to the shot. Kim went and got her first aid kit and hurried to bandage a small wound on Jo's head.

Jo had a lot of questions but Kim didn't have a lot of time. After triple checking Jo was alright, Kim made sure she had everything she needed before turning to go help out Dean. As she was about to run out the door, she turned around and looked at Jo.

"Don't move," Kim ordered Jo as she scoffed. Kim hurried off to find Dean. Soon, she found herself in a large cluttered, dark shed, not a sound to be heard but she saw shadows on the floor. Pulling out her gun, she crouched down behind some old furniture. The smell of the sea filled her nose as she heard footsteps behind her. She quickly moved to another location to see a figure not far behind her. She aimed for it quickly but backed away when she saw it was Dean. Dean put his fingers to his lips and Kim nodded.

"So who are you?" Dean asked.

"I have lots of names," 'Sam' replied. After hearing the location of the voice the both moved, Kim, going in a different direction than Dean.

"You've been in Sam since he disappeared, haven't you?" Dean asked as he scurried around a corner.

"You should have seen your face when you thought Sam murdered that guy," 'Sam' scoffed. "Pathetic." Dean ignored his comment and hurried off as Kim went around to the other side, getting a glimpse of 'Sam'. Immediately she held her gun up but he was out of her sight in a second.

"Why didn't you kill me? You had a dozen chances," Dean asked.

"No, that would have been too easy. Where's the fun in that? See, this was a test. Wanted to see if I could push you far enough to waste Sam," 'Sam' said. "Should have known you wouldn't have the sac, but Kim? She's was gonna do it; fierce bitch that one. Anyway, fun's over now."

"Well, I hope you got your kicks. Because you're gonna pay hell for this, I'm gonna make sure of that," Dean said sarcastically.

"How? You can't hurt me. Not without hurting your little brother," 'Sam' explained. "See, I think you're gonna die, Dean. You and every other hunter I can find. And after I kill you, I'll kill Jo and make Kim watch. Make her watch the life drain out of Jo's eyes. Other hunters? One look as Sam's dewy, sensitive eyes? They'll let me right in their door."

'Sam' ran outside and Kim and Dean followed, leading to an open dock. Dean and Kim peaked around the corner but didn't see anything. Stepping out in the open, Dean went and checked under the dock while Kim looked off into the distance. 'Sam' stepped out and aimed, shooting Kim. She hit the floor hard and laid immobile.

"Kim!" Dean screamed, but he was also shot, flying back into the water under the dock. 'Sam' smirked to himself.

"I guess Jo will just have to find you dead instead." With that, he walked away pleased with himself.

•※•

Kim woke up to a familiar voice.

"She hit her head pretty hard," Dean's voice growled. Kim opened her eyes immediately and scuttled back from the grasp she was in. Her hand went straight to her shoulder where blood still oozed out of her wound. Jo was carrying Kim back to the bar when she pushed herself out. Kim looked up to see Dean and Jo looking at her. She saw the wound on Dean's shoulder as he hobbled along. Kim immediately applied pressure to hers.

"How did he miss you?" Kim scoffed, trying to break the silence. Dean huffed and turned around, walking back to the bar while Jo went to support Kim. She moved away quickly and eyed Dean. "I'm fine, seriously," Kim insisted as she pressed harder to the wound, feeling the warm blood ooze from her arm. A sharp white pain spiralled down her arm and spine. Kim bit her lip to stop a scream from escaping her lips as she held back the excruciating pain. Jo squinted her eyes before hesitantly running to help Dean as Kim followed from behind, a pain in her arm that left her winded.

Once they got to the bar, Jo ran and got Kim's first-aid kit. Dean plonked himself down on a bar stool while Kim stumbled and poured herself a drink. As Jo came back she started heading her way towards Kim but she shook her head.

"Let me enjoy this drink," Kim smirked as she sipped, trying to dull the pain that continuously and mercilessly stabbed her shoulder.

"Stop being the hero, Kim and sit down," Jo ordered but Kim just shook her head.

"Don't tell Ellen I'm drinking or you'll have to sew my head back on." Jo rolled her eyes and shook her head and made her way to Dean who was hunched in pain. As Jo started getting everything ready, Kim smirked at them. When Jo turned to face Dean, giving all her attention to him, she quickly downed the drink down and applied a heavy amount of pressure to her shoulder, hunching over the bench. With a quick breath in, she kept her pain silent as she chugged her drink.

Dean was clutching the edge of the table in pain, his knuckles white with a bottle in his other. He groaned and took a swig.

"Don't be a baby," Jo scolded as tried to pull out the bullet.

"God!" Dean groaned in pain and Kim huffed.

"Almost, all right, I got it. I got it," Jo assured. She dropped the blood-stained bullet into a glass of alcohol as Dean took a healthy swig of his drink.

"God, you're a butcher," Dean panted. Jo looked at him blankly.

"You're welcome.," she sassed, quickly sewing Dean and patching him up. Jo moved over to Kim who was suffering on a bar stool, her hand drenched in her own blood and pain in her eyes. Kim was stiff as Jo moved her hand from her shoulder and dug to get the bullet out. Kim, unwillingly, let out a short scream of pain, quickly breathing in as Jo searched for the bullet.

"I should have done it myself," Kim breathed in pain, earning a small laugh from Jo. Soon, Jo pulled out the bullet and started patching up Kim. Kim let out a breath as she pinched herself painfully. As Jo cleaned up the wound, she looked over to Dean.

"So, how'd you know?" Jo asked. "That he was possessed?"

"Uh, I didn't, I just knew that it couldn't have been him," Dean replied, nodding to himself. There was a silence that filled the air.

"Hey?" Jo asked.

"Yeah?" Dean answered.

"I know demons lie, but do they ever tell the truth too?" Kim immediately looked up to Jo and answered before Dean could.

"Depends on how much it will screw you up. Why, what did he say?" Kim asked hastily. Jo just shook her head and looked down.

"Nothing. Doesn't matter. So do you have any idea where he's headed to next?" She quickly changed the subject and Kim sent her a look which Jo ignored.

"Well, so far he's been going after the nearest hunter, so... closest one I know lives in South Dakota," Dean answered.

"Okay good, I'm done. Let's go." Jo started packing up her things and getting ready. Kim stood up quickly stood in front of her.

"You're not going," she said blankly, holding Jo by her shoulders. Jo laughed a little, shuffling on her feet.

"The hell I'm not. I'm part if this now!" Jo yelled, angrily. Kim stepped back a little before pointing at Jo.

"No, Jo," Kim warned.

"You can't stop m–"

"Okay, this is how this is going to go," Kim started. "Dean and I are going to go find Sam before he hurts anyone else. And so help me, if I see you there I will drive you back here myself and tie your ass to a chair and God knows I won't come to untie you until this job is done. You got that?" Jo crossed her arms angrily.

"You know I'm older than you, right?" Jo growled.

"Yeah, well I'm trained," Kim continued. She sighed and brushed her eyebrow. "I don't want to worry about you." Jo sighed and stepped back.

"I'm just gonna wait outside," Dean announced awkwardly.

"Yeah, I'm comin'," Kim shouted after him. Kim turned to Jo. "Just stay, please?" Jo slouched before nodding. Kim sighed in relief before turning around to leave.

"Wait!" Jo called after her. She handed her a bottle of pills. "Here, take these. They'll help with the pain." Kim smiled and took the pills before giving Jo a grateful look and turning around, wondering how dazed Jo must have been to let Kim convince her to stay.


	15. Chapter Thirteen

Panic had settled between them as they hurried to the nearest hunter to hopefully stop whatever demon that possessed Sam. The car was stuffy, the windows shut forcefully and the air in the car was still. It was still dark outside as they ventured into the dark highway music blasting from the stereo in hopes to clear their minds. Kim stiffly bobbed her head along to the music as did Dean. No one said a word; the music was too intoxicating. It seemed like it was the perfect thing for them at that moment, something to distract them even if it was only for one drive. Kim and Dean pulled up to Bobby's house not long after, when it just hit dawn. Rapidly, they both jumped out the car and entered Bobby's house.

"Bobby!" Dean called causing the man to pop out from around the corner.

"Get your asses in here. I got Sam in a demon trap," Bobby huffed as he shuffled back to 'Sam', the two of them following behind him. 'Sam' was knocked out, head hung to one side, his shaggy hair slightly covering his face. His hands were tied to the chair as he sat unconscious under a demon trap.

"Hey," Dean hustled, waking 'Sam' up. Dean looked to Bobby as 'Sam' slowly and wearily looked around to the three of them, a dreaded smile traced his lips. Kim's head nudged towards the ceiling causing 'Sam' to look up, realising he was underneath a demon trap.

"Dean. Back from the dead. Getting to be a regular thing for you, isn't it?" 'Sam' sassed, his eyes squinted, his hair over his face. "Like a cockroach." His head turned to Kim, an evil smile haunting her as she stared at him.

"How about I smack that smartass right out of your mouth?" Dean threatened.

"Oh, careful, now. Wouldn't wanna bruise this fine packaging."

"Oh, don't worry, this isn't gonna hurt Sam much." Dean turned and picked something up. "You on the other hand..." Dean tossed a bucket of holy water on 'Sam' and watched as he steamed up, cringing in pain. "Feel like talkin' now?" Dean boomed as they watched 'Sam' wince.

"Sam's still my meat puppet. I'll make him bite off his tongue."

"You won't be in him long enough," Dean hissed. "Bobby," Dean said and Bobby instantly started exorcising him. "See whatever bitch-boy master plan you demons are workin' cooking up? You're not getting Sam or Kim." They watched as the demon struggled under the exorcism. "You understand me? 'Cause I'm gonna kill every one of you first."

'Sam' thrashed around in his chair, his head rolling back as he screamed. Suddenly, he started laughing maniacally, smiling as he threw his head forward to meet Dean's eyes. Bobby stopped the exorcism.

"You really think that's is what this's about? The master plan? I don't give a rat's ass about the master plan." Bobby looked to Dean who nodded, Bobby continued. "Oops," 'Sam' interrupted the chant. "Doesn't seem to be working. See, I learned a few new tricks." 'Sam' hung his head and started chanting a different chant, different from the exorcism. Kim listened to what he was saying and flung her head to the side and growled.

"Shit," she spat. The fire in the fireplace sparked up, causing the three of them to flinch back.

"What?" Dean growled at Kim.

"I think the demon bound itself to Sam," Kim growled back. The room started to shake and the papers began to fly. Kim's eyes rushed over Sam as she leaped forward to search him. "It's a binding link." Kim said, lifting 'Sam's' sleeve to reveal a 'Q' shaped mark.

There was a loud crack and large slit went through the ceiling, breaking the demon trap. Kim and Dean looked to 'Sam' shocked.

"There. That's better," 'Sam' croaked. With a twist of his head, he sent Bobby, Dean, and Kim flying into a wall, crashing down into the floor, Dean dropped his flask of holy water. "You know when people want to describe the worst possible thing? They say it's like hell." 'Sam' stalked towards Dean, grabbing him and punching him in the face as he laid on the floor. "You know there's a reason for that. Hell is like, uh..." 'Sam' punched Dean in the face again, falling back into the floor. "Well, it's like Hell. Even for demons." Another punch and Kim watched from afar as the blood poured from Dean's nose as she gathered her strength. "It's a prison, made of bone and flesh and blood and fear." Another punch. 'Sam' grabbed Dean's head so that he was looking straight at him. "And you sent me back there." Slowly, Dean's lips traced a broken smirk.

"Meg," Dean sneered.

"No. Not anymore. Now I'm Sam." Another punch and Dean was choking on his own blood. "By the way," 'Sam' shoved his thumb into Dean's healing wound, "I saw your dad there—he says 'howdy'."

Kim stood up groggily as Dean groaned in pain, clutching onto 'Sam's' arm. "All that I had to hold onto, was that I would climb out one day and that I was going to torture you. Nice and slow. Like pulling the wings off an insect. But whatever I do to you, it's nothing compared to what you do to yourself, is it? I can see it in your eyes, Dean. You're worthless. You couldn't save your dad, and deep down... you know that you can't save Kim or your brother. They all would have been better off without you."

'Sam' lifted his arm to punch Dean again, swinging it high into the air. Kim gathered her balance and staggered her way over to 'Sam' grabbing his hand before it went crashing down on Dean again. 'Sam' turned around and saw Kim, a look of pure hatred through his eyes. Kim smiled down at him.

"Hi, I'm Kim. I believe we haven't met, and..." Then she threw 'Sam's' arm down, sending him stumbling away from Dean, "you're gonna wish we hadn't." With that, Bobby grabbed 'Sam's' arm and burned a line through the symbol, crushing its power over him. He screamed out in pain, a large cloud of smoke escaped Sam's mouth as the demon was forced from his body. The smoke circled the room for a second before finding its escape through the chimney, sending Sam falling to his knees.

Kim quickly made her way to Dean, helping him up from his position. Sam scrambled awake, putting pressure on his freshly burnt arm. Both of them were panting heavily.

"Sammy?" Dean questioned hopefully. Sam sent a confused look towards Kim and Bobby before turning to Dean.

"Did I miss anything?" Sam asked, breathlessly. Suddenly, Dean lunged at his brother, sending a punch to his face. Sam clutched his jaw as Dean fell on his side in pain, clutching his shoulder.

•※•

Sam, Dean, and Kim stayed at Bobby's that night. Sam was at the desk while Kim and Dean sat in chairs facing each other as Kim stitched up Dean's bullet hole. Dean held an ice pack on his face.

"By the way, you really look like crap, Dean," Sam said solemnly.

"Yeah, right back atcha," Dean huffed, pressing the ice harder against his nose. All their attentions turned to Bobby as he slowly walked into the room, standing where all three of them could see him.

"What is it, Bobby?" Sam asked, looking up at him from his seat.

"You guys ever hear if a hunter named Steve Wandell?" Bobby questioned, already knowing the answer. There was a silence.

"Why do you ask?" Dean asked as they shuffled in their seats.

"Just heard from a friend. Wandell's dead. Murdered in his own house. You wouldn't know anything about that?" Bobby interrogated. Kim applied pressure to Dean wound causing him to wince.

"No sir," Kim replied, turning back to Dean.

"Never heard of the guy," Dean finished.

"Dean," Sam warned. Bobby nodded and pursed his lips.

"Good. Keep it that way. Wandell's buddies are looking for someone or something to string up, and they're not going to slow down to listen to reason. You understand what I'm saying?" Bobby asked, the three of them nodding their heads.

"We'd better hit the road. If, uh, you can remember where we parked the car." Dean turned to Kim.

"Shit! My car!" Kim cursed, remembering she left it at the motel.

"Don't worry, we'll go get it," Sam assured and Kim sent him a soft look, not accompanied with a smile. The three of them got up and headed for the door.

"Here. Take these." Bobby handed the each a small metal charm.

"What are they?" Sam asked, observing it in his hand.

"Charms. They'll fend off possession. That demon's still out there. This'll stop it from getting back up in ya," Bobby added, handing one to Dean.

"That sounds vaguely dirty, but uh, thanks," Dean laughed huskily.

"You're welcome," Bobby huffed, handing one to Kim. She looked at it and half smiled, shaking her head politely at Bobby.

"Uh, no thanks," Kim said as she patted her chest, slightly gesturing to a necklace chain around her neck. Dean and Sam looked over, staring at it. "I have my own." She quickly put it back under her shirt and played with the chain. The three looked at her but didn't ask any questions.

"You be careful now," Bobby warned as he yelled out the door.

"You too." At the door, Dean tossed the icepack back to Bobby. The three of them drove off, Dean driving, Sam in shotgun and Kim sitting contently to herself in the back as she played with the chain; there was no smile on her lips but it was clear in her misty eyes that she was remembering the happy days.

A few minutes down the road and it was silent. No one said a word, Sam still awkwardly staring out the window, too ashamed to do anything. Dean licked his teeth, checking the back mirror to see Kim fiddling with her chain.

"Where'd you get that?" Dean asked. Kim snapped her head to Dean, pulling her hand away from the chain.

"Uh, don't worry." Dean nodded and pursed his lips.

"Look, I get that you're private and whatever but you this is getting ridiculous," Dean said from the front, looking at her through the mirror.

"Coming from you," she scoffed.

"Plus, I could really go for a story right now," Sam added. Kim looked at Sam and wondered why she should do him this favour; but the dread she saw in his eyes convinced her to speak. She breathed heavily and nodded her head, her fingers tracing the chain as she remembered the story.

"Well, when I was fifteen, Jo and I got into a stupid argument. It was loud and abusive. We were screaming at each other till our faces were red. She just kept bickering in my ear and the anger just kept boiling inside me. We both said things we didn't mean but you never really forget what they say, ya know?" Kim admitted.

"It went for hours and she eventually told me to get out, so I did. I went to my room and packed a backpack full of stuff I had lying around, in too much of a rush to properly think of what I'd need. I left with a few hundred dollars, a bottle of water and new pairs of clothes. No phone, no food, no nothing. I didn't realise back then how little a few hundred dollars could get you.

"I left for two months. Ellen even got some hunters to come and get me, but no one could find me. I made sure of it. After one month, I ran out of money and no one would hire me, but I was too proud to run back. I spent the next month fighting with myself, torturing myself. Eventually, I made my way back to the Roadhouse, dirty, sore and pathetic. I still can't believe I went back, most embarrassing moment of my life but I'm glad I did.

"Jo was there, waiting for me. She knew that they wouldn't find me. She knew that the next time she would see me again was when I wanted her too. When I walked through the doors, Jo was behind the bar, wiping it clean. I was surprised to get a hung when I can back, and for the first time in a long time I felt at home.

"Jo reached into her pocket and pulled out two rings, exactly the same. She handed me one and put the other on her finger. She told me it was an anti-possession symbol. Keeps the demons out. She also told me that no matter how bad times get or how bad we may fight or how long we'll be apart, that these rings will keep us together. I haven't taken it off since." Kim shared and scraped the back of her head, looking out the window. "Still, neither of us have apologised about what happened that day."

There was a silence that filled the car as Kim kept a brisk smile on her lips.

"What was the fight about?"

There was a pause.

"Family."

•※•

The three of them went to pick up Kim's car and spent the next week or so looking for a case, hopping from state to state. They ended up in a motel room that was old fashioned and provided three bed. The boys insisted on paying for the room since Kim paid for the other.

Dean was sitting on one of the beds with his music playing while Kim was scrolling through her laptop and Sam was reading a book on the couch. Dean shoved a handful of fries in his mouth, a disgusting noise protruding from it.

"Dude. You mind not eating those on my bed?" Sam asked, annoyed. Dean grabbed some more fires.

"No, I don't mind," Dean replied, getting a smirking scoff from Kim. Dean licked his fingers.

"How's research going?" Dean asked. Sam slammed his book shut, turning to face Dean.

"You know how it's going?" Sam sassed. "Slow. You know how it would go a heck of a lot faster? If I had my computer." Sam's voice rose angrily. Dean looked up from his fries and gave Sam a cocky smile, mocking him. Kim got up and handed Sam her computer.

"Here, I can't find anything anyway," she sighed, grabbing the book from Sam and started reading it. Sam sighed and looked at her, taking it hesitantly before he thanked Kim, going about his research. There was a moment of silence where Sam glanced over to Kim as she flicked the page, an irritating noise growing louder in the background. Sam groaned annoyed and turned to Dean.

"Can you turn the down, please?" Sam complained, annoyed.

"Yeah, absolutely." Dean stretched his arm out and turned the music up, earning a hard glare from Sam. Kim scoffed and scratched her head. She was used to the loud surroundings. Her family loved music and almost always had it playing and then Kim lived in a bar where silence wasn't an option.

"You know what? Maybe, uh, maybe you should just go somewhere for a while," Sam suggested, shouting over the music.

"Hey, I'd love to. That's a great idea. Unfortunately, my car's all screwed to hell," Dean growled.

"Dean, I told you I have nothing to do with—" There was a knock at the door. Kim got up and looked the rough the peephole. Kim sighed and opened the door, revealing a scruffy, rigid old man.

"Hey, Bobby," Kim greeted, moving out of the way for him to enter.

"Hey, Bobby," The boys greeted excitedly.

"It's good to see you again so soon. Kim, you when're still around," Bobby observed and Kim nodded her head, shoving her heads in her pocket.

"Looks like it," she replied, eyeing Sam.

"Yeah, thanks for coming," Sam said, actively ignoring her glare, leading him in.

"Thank god you're here." Dean shook Bobby's hand.

"So, um, what didn't you wanna talk to me one the phone about?"

"It's this job we're working. We—we weren't sure you'd believe us." Bobby scoffed, offended.

"I can believe a lot," he scoffed.

"Yeah, no, no, it's just, we've never seen anything like it."

"Not even close," Dean added.

"And we thought we could use some fresh eyes," Sam finished.

"Well, why don't you begin at the beginning?" Bobby suggested.

"Okay, so it all started when we caught wind of an obit. See, a professor took a nosedive from a fourth story window, only there's a campus legend that the building's haunted. So we pretended to be reporters from the local paper..."

•※•

 _The bar was dark and loud like a stereotypical college bar filled with college students. Young, perky girls filled the dance floor as tall, handsome boys joined them. The music was loud but the conversation was louder as Dean sat at the bar, sculling three shots while Sam was off talking to two students about the 'suicide' of a professor that worked at the college. Kim was on the other side of the bar enjoying some comfortable time alone. Her eyes scanned through the bar, her fingers circling a rim of condensation left on the bar surface from someone's drink._

 _She curled her lip as she observed the bar. She was never much for big parties with strangers and was normally the girl sitting in the corner, enjoying the scene._

 _"Hey, can I buy you another beer?" a man's voice said behind her. Kim turned her head to see a man standing over her with broad shoulders and a slight stubble. Kim was surprised anyone noticed her in the corner of the bar hidden in the shadow. Kim stopped circling the condensation and curled her lips slightly to amuse him._

 _"Why not?" she shrugged as he ordered her a beer. She never thought it was important to put a lot of effort into her appearance since she was either alone or hunting all the time._

 _Normally she wore her loose jeans for hunting, but since she was going out she wore her black ripped skinny jeans that she rarely put on. Though she didn't care what people thought about her appearance, she knew what was appropriate but she didn't change much. She still had on her dark brown boots and a low-cut tank top with her dark camouflage jacket which was perfect for hunting. It had multiple pockets and was big enough to hide a gun. She didn't care that it hid her curves or made her look square, it was practical and comfortable._

 _Her hair was tied up in a messy ponytail with a few braids going through it and touch of makeup—mascara._

 _They started talking and he decided to take a seat next to Kim. The conversation was as polite as Kim could make it and casual. She found out he was a few years older than her, studied at the college and had heard about the mysterious cases. Kim quickly started asking questions, asking about what he knew and who the victims were and if they had any connection._

 _Soon after, he stopped talking about school and insisted that they talked about Kim. He started leaning close, touching her arm, playing with her hair and looking her up and down._

 _Kim was a brilliant actor, it came with the job; but she was horrible at flirting. She became lost for words and flustered, not in a cute and pretty way, more in a frustrated and aggravating way where she was started to scowl whenever he touched her; but she knew flirting was necessary to continue to gather information. The strokes and small pinches turned into another thing Kim became attracted to after some amount of time. Kim started to flirt back, finding him somewhat attractive and a new way to distract her from the hunt ahead._

 _Dean sat at the other end of the bar, shots now empty as he stared at Kim with her new friend. He watched as he played with her hair, smiled at her sweetly leaning closer. The guy seemed to be genuinely amused, a huge smile on his face. Dean never thought Kim could make someone laugh that much, she never seemed to be an overly humorous person. She was usually more serious with a side of sarcasm. But the smile on his face presented otherwise and it was then that Dean realised that although they had spent a lot of time together, he didn't actually know much about her._

 _Feeling a presence behind her, Kim instantly turned around, reaching for the knife in her waistband. She came to face the chest of a man. Her eyes trailed up to see Sam and licked her teeth. He didn't look very happy as he towed over her sitting figure. Feeling slightly overpowered by Sam, she stood up and straightened herself out._

 _"Hey, Sam," Kim greeted, standing up from her bar stool as did her companion. "Uh, this is Justin. Justin, this is Sam," she introduced. Justin was a few inches shorter than Sam but he stood his ground comfortably, with his casual smile._

 _"Hi," Justin greeted and held out his hand. Sam didn't respond as he stared at him. His eyes switched to Kim as she smirked up at him, half empty beer in her hand._

 _"Let's go, Kim," Sam instead, grabbing her wrist and pulling her towards Dean. She tried to pull against him but he was too strong. Kim forcefully ripped her hand out of his grip, flinging herself onto Justin. Awkwardly, she shuffled off of him._

 _"What's your problem?" Kim asked, rubbing her wrist._

 _"Are you okay?" Justin asked. Kim smiled sheepishly and nodded her head._

 _"Kim, we have a job to do," Sam reminded sternly. Kim nodded and rubbed her eyes, wondering why she thought she could have a day off. Kim smiled at Justin before turning around to shuffle along after Sam. She felt a hand grab her wrist._

 _"Here," Justin said, shoving a folded piece of paper in her hand before smiling and walking off. Kim smirked and shoved the paper into her pocket. She scoffed at Sam and walked with him to Dean._

 _"Am I not allowed to talk to anyone anymore?" she asked sarcastically, not caring about their answer._

 _"Not if you aren't talking about the case," Dean huffed and took a shot. Kim was about to correct him when Sam interrupted._

 _"Dean, what are you drinking?" Sam asked disgusted as she watched his brother swiftly skull a purple liquid. Dean burped and slammed the shot glass back on the bar._

 _"I don't know, man, I think they're called 'purple nurples'?" Dean replied and laughed sloppily._

 _"Okay, well listen. I think maybe we should go check out the professor's office," Sam suggested._

 _"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no I can't right now, I've got some feisty little wildcat on the hook, I'm about to—zzzzp—reel her in. I'll introduce you."_

 _"Dean—"_

 _A blonde girl sculled a shot before turning to Dean. She wore fishnet stockings and a tight miniskirt. She was a sloppy drunk with heavy makeup._

 _"Starla! Starla, hey. This is my shuttle co-pilot, Major Tom. Major Tom, Starla." Starla smiled and draped her arm around Dean's, clinging to him. Kim looked at Sam and rose an eyebrow._

 _"And you tell me off," she sassed at Sam, gesturing towards Dean and Starla. Sam turned to face her._

 _"Kim, James is—"_

 _"Justin," she corrected._

 _"—a distraction," Sam replied before looking at Starla, who was gagging and covering her mouth, looking down and away from them. Kim scoffed at her._

 _"And she's not," she scoffed._

 _"Dean's older than me. I can't force him to do anything." They could hear it rising in her throat as she tried to swallow what came up. She then swallowed and looked up, grinning._

 _"Sorry, trying to hold my liquor down," she smirked. They could smell the alcohol on her breath._

 _"Yeah, good job," Dean smirked and looked at Sam. "Good news, she's got a sister. Sorry, Kim," he added. Starla snuggled into his shoulder and smiled, wagging her eyebrows suggestively._

•※•

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on a minute," Dean cut in, ending Sam's story.

"What?" Sam asked.

"Come on, dude, that's not how it happened," Dean argued.

"Yeah, I don't flirt," Kim assured as Sam rolled his eyes, ignoring her comment.

"No? So you never drank a purple nurple?" Sam asked, brushing off Kim's response.

"Yeah, maybe that, but I don't say things like 'feisty little wildcat'. And her name wasn't Starla," Dean replied. Kim rolled her eyes and looked at Bobby, who was staring at the two of them.

"Then what was it?" Sam asked.

"I don't know." He turned to Bobby. "But she was a classy chick. She was a grad student. Anthropology and folklore. We were talking about local ghost stories..."

•※•

 _The bar was quiet and simple, not very crowded or loud. Everyone was enjoying themselves with their friends and dancing with each other._

 _Kim sat on the other side of the bar, mindlessly flirting and frantically flinging herself at one poor boy who seemed desperate for an escape. She chugged down her drink and managed draped her arm around the man's shoulder, even with the awkward height difference. With a sloppy smile, she stroked the man's face as he recoiled with disgust._

 _A classy girl wearing a tight black cocktail dress and high heels with lovely flowing blonde hair walked up to Dean as he sat at the bar. They both held shots as a toast,_

 _"Here's to..." the girl started._

 _"Here's to us," Dean finished. The girl smiled politely at him, cheering the shots and taking them. She looked up and into Dean's eyes._

 _"My god... You are attractive," the girl purred seductively into Dean's ear._

 _"Thanks. But no time for that now. You need to tell me about this urban legend. Please," Dean said, assertively. "Lives are at stake," he added modestly._

 _"Sorry, I just... can't even concentrate. It's like staring... into the sun," she complemented in awe. She reached up and pulled his head towards her. Their lips connected with a slow kiss. Dean heard an exaggerated noise from behind him. He turned to see Sam standing over him with an extreme bitchface and Kim dancing her way over to Sam, accidentally bumping into people as she stumbled towards them._

 _"Dean, what do you think you're doing?" Sam asked pretentiously, pursing his lips._

 _"Sam, please. If you wouldn't mind, give me five minutes here," Dean replied, respectfully._

 _"Dean, this is a very serious investigation. We don't have any time for any of your blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah Blah!" Sam continued to blab on as Kim flirted with another guy behind him._

 _Dean leaned in to kiss the girl again, completely ignoring Sam. He started to get louder, angrier and prissier with every word as Sam continued to jabber on behind him._

 _"Blah!" Sam yelled and Kim frantically giggled._

•※•

There was a small silence that filled the room as Dean stood with his arms crossed proudly and Sam stood there shocked. Bobby and Kim just listened, astonished, comparing the different stories that were just told.

"Okay," Kim stated. "I like Sam's story better." Sam scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Right! And that's how that really happened," Sam remarked sarcastically. Dean shrugged. "I don't sound like that, Dean!" Sam shouted defensively.

"That's what you sound like to me," Dean huffed. Kim laughed silently to herself but was quickly silenced by a look from Bobby.

"What's going on with you two?" Bobby asked.

"Nothing. No—it's nothing." Sam assured, looking to Kim and rubbing his head.

"No, come on. You're bickering like an old married couple," Bobby argued.

"No, you see married couples can get divorced. Me and him, we're like, uh, Siamese twins," Dean commented, getting up and walking towards the motel kitchen.

"It's conjoined twin," Sam snapped as Dean walked past him.

"See what I mean?"

"Look, it's..." Sam sighed. "We've just been on the road for too long. Tight quarters, all that. Don't worry about it." They nodded even though they knew it was far from that. There was tension everywhere they went, and it only grew with time. Unspoken words lingered in all their minds as their emotions kept building up. Sam knew it wasn't healthy, but Dean and Kim saw it as the only way. No one cared what their problems were because they were too busy with their own.

It was tough for Sam, holding everything back. He had just been possessed and murdered someone and Dean shrugged it off as if it was nothing. As if it was something that they could easily get over. But as much as it affected Sam, it affected Dean and Kim as well.

With Sam being away for a while, Kim had grown used to Dean and his paranoid habits, subconsciously taking up a few without noticing. She would lean to Dean's sides on arguments unless she strongly believed otherwise and took up as many chances to stay with Dean over Sam, feeling uncomfortable whenever she was alone with Sam. She still believed Sam hated her as much as he hated himself even after she told him to move on—for Dean. He would send her looks, not of nasty intentions, more to make sure she was doing the right thing as if he was warning her not to step out of line. He was weary of her every move as he was with himself, trusting no one.

She would notice him glancing over to her during simple hunts or whenever she would search by herself. He would take time out of his day to stop what he was doing to go find Kim. He grew paranoid of simple actions and both Kim and Dean were pulling him up on it. Sam tried to get himself between them as much as possible because although he didn't exactly trust Dean at the moment, he didn't trust her much more either. To Sam, she was just another potential threat to keep an eye on.


	16. Chapter Fourteen

_"So, how long've you been workin' here?" Sam asked the janitor that worked at the college. He had brown hair to match his whiskey eyes with a short structure and neatly combed hair, styled into a parted quiff and a quirky little smirk on his face. Kim watched him inventively, something. He led Sam, Dean, and Kim—who were disguised as elections—to an office in the building._

 _"I've been mopping this floor for six years," the janitor replied as he unlocked the door. "There you go, guys." The janitor walked into the room, the three of them followed behind him. He turned around and smiled, his eyes finding their way to Kim. He looked her up and down, smirking a little, nodding his head. Kim's attention was drawn to him as he pursed his lips and she raised an eyebrow._

 _"What?" she huffed, shrugging she shoulders._

 _"Aren't you a bit young to be an electrician, sweetheart?" he asked, smiling to himself. "I mean, you can't be any older than..." he thought for a second, a cocky smile on his face, "nineteen." Kim swallowed quickly, licking her lips and crossing her arms over her chest before nodding._

 _"I'm in training," she lied with a fake smile. The janitor nodded and sent her a wink, which surprisingly had no sexual connotation to it, then he turned to Sam who had pulled out an EMF reader._

 _"What the heck's that for?" he asked, staring at the odd object in Sam's hand._

 _"Just to find a wire in the walls," he explained._

 _"Huh. Wow. Not sure why you're wiring up this office. Not gonna do the professor much good," the janitor said, looking around the room. The office was very clean and pristine, with a desk near the window and a bookshelf and a high hanging light._

 _"Why's that?" Dean asked._

 _"He's dead," the janitor replied casually with a shrug._

 _"Oh. What happened?" Dean continued, not a single drop of empathy in his voice._

 _"He went out that window. Right there." He pointed to the window that was behind a desk._

 _"Yeah? Were you working that night?" Sam asked, stepping toward him._

 _"I'm the one who found him," he replied proudly._

 _"Did you see it happen?" Kim asked, looking around the room. Dean also looked around the room and spotted a bowl of caramels on the side table and ate one._

 _"No. I just saw him come up here, and uh... well..."_

 _"What?"_

 _"He wasn't alone," he replied with a smirk. Dean walked towards him, his cheeks stuffed with caramels. He held the bowl and continued eating them._

 _"Who was he with?" he asked, muffled by his mouthful of food. His cheeks were puffed, and the food was almost spilling out of his mouth and saliva was dripping down his chin._

•※•

"Come on! I ate one, maybe two." Dean argued. Kim huffed a laugh, knowing that that wasn't exactly true.

"Just let me tell it, okay?" Sam continued.

•※•

 _"He was with a young lady. I told the cops about her, but uh, I guess they never found her," the janitor explained._

 _"You saw this girl go in, huh? But did you ever see her come out?" Sam asked._

 _"Now that you mention it, no," the janitor replied._

 _"Does she go to the college? Have you seen her around?" Kim asked._

 _"Well, not her."_

 _"What do you mean?" Dean asked, his mouth still stuffed with sweets. Sam sent him a glare. Kim looked to Dean and pointed to his chin, disgusted. Dean looked down and sloppily wiped his chin of saliva._

 _"I don't mean to cast aspersions on a dead guy, but uh . . . Mister Morality here? He brought a lot of girls up here. Got more ass than a toilet seat." Dean laughs delightedly, and Kim sniggered at the joke while Sam forced a smile._

 _"One more thing. This building, it only has four stories, right?"_

 _"Yeah."_

 _"So, there wouldn't be a room six-six-nine?" Sam asked, regarding the legend he had heard earlier._

 _"'Course not. Why do you ask?" the janitor replied._

 _"Uh, just curious. Thanks."_

 _They returned to the motel they were staying at and Sam sat at the table. Dean grabbed a beer out of the fridge for himself and Sam._

 _"Can I have one?"_

 _"I'll give you one when you're not underage," Dean replied with a smirk. Kim pursed her lips and laughed sarcastically, throwing herself on the couch._

 _"Well, no traces of EMF, that's for sure," Sam established._

 _"And the room six-six-nine's a load of crap." Dean huffed._

 _"So the legend's just another hoax?" Kim asked._

 _"I don't know. I mean, the uh, girl the janitor described, that's pretty weird," Dean continued._

 _"Yeah," Sam agreed, looking at Kim, eyeing her slowly._

 _"We oughta check out the history of the building. See if any co-ed ganked herself there," Dean added, causing Sam to look at him._

 _"Yeah, let's search it," Kim said grabbing her laptop, leaning back on the couch and placing her laptop on her stomach. Shuffling on the couch, she maneuverer herself into a comfortable position. Sam opened his laptop, then stared at the screen, confused._

 _"Dude. Were you on my computer?" he asked Dean._

 _"No."_

 _"Oh really? 'Cause it's frozen now. On uh, ." Dean frowned and winced before ignoring Sam and walking around the corner. "Dean! Would you—just—don't touch my stuff anymore, okay?"_

 _"Why don't you control your O.C.D.?" Dean snapped._

 _•※•_

"But did you dig up anything about the building? Or on the suicidal co-ed?" Bobby asked

"History is clean, Bobby," Kim shrugged, putting her hands in her pockets.

"Then it's not a haunting," Bobby assured.

"Maybe not. Tell you the truth, we're not really sure," Dean replied.

"What do you mean, you're not sure?" Bobby grumbled.

"Well... it's weird," Sam added.

"What's weird?" Bobby asked.

"This next part, we uh, we didn't see it happen ourselves exactly, but it's pretty friggin weird. Even for us," Dean added. For a few minutes, Dean told Bobby the story they heard about a student getting abducted by aliens.

Kim sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, sitting on the bed and rubbing her eyes. She had no idea what this monster was or how much power it held. She had no idea how to kill it or how to save anyone. Everything was quickly turning to a mess that Kim couldn't fix, and she was starting to feel the pressure more than before; but no matter how stressful things got, there was never a monster that she wouldn't fight. She had a job to do and she was going to finish it.

"Aliens?" Bobby asked, listening to Dean's story.

"Yeah," Dean assured.

"Aliens!" Bobby exclaimed in a growl.

"Yeah."

"Look, even if they are real, they sure as hell not coming to earth and swipin' people," Bobby assured.

"Hey, believe me, we know," Dean added.

"My whole life I've never found evidence of an honest-to-God abduction. It's all just cranks and pranks," Bobby added. Kim nodded and got off the bed, walking around restlessly.

"Yeah, that's what we thought but we thought we might as well ask," Kim started, standing next to Dean. "This kid seemed to genuinely believe he was abducted by aliens. Like, little gray things with probing machines. And he described it in so much detail." Kim scowled in disgust. "He even insisted that they made him slow dance."

"You're exaggerating right?" Bobby asked. Sam shook his head, stepping forward.

"No, no," Sam replied.

"Then this frat boy's just nuts," he grouched.

"We're not so sure," Dean muttered.

"Yeah, we found a perfectly scorched circular mark on a patch of grass. Sam suggested that the original haunting is connected, so we kept digging," Kim added.

•※•

 _At the same bar, they were talking to another college student about the kid who got 'abducted'._

 _"So, you and this guy, Curtis—you were in the same house?" Sam asked._

 _"Yeah," the student replied._

 _"You heard what happened to him, right?" Dean asked._

 _"Yeah, he said it was aliens, but, you know, whatever."_

 _"Look, man, I—I know this has to be so hard," Sam said dramatically, his lip quivering for the man before him. The kid cringed at him dramatic attitude, slowly leaning away from him._

 _"Um, not so much," he said abruptly._

 _"I just want you to know... I'm here for you. You brave little soldier. I acknowledge your pain. Come here." Sam leaned over and grabbed the student, pulling him in for a huge hug. Sam's arms wrapped around the student, trapping him in Sam's chest as he wailed and heaved for the student. "You're too precious for this world!" Sam sniffled, holding back his tears._

•※•

"I never said that!" Sam shouted in protest. Kim huffed a short laugh before pressing her lips together to prevent anymore from coming out. She swallowed the laughter before it could be sounded. She let out a breath as the smile escaped her lips. Wiping away a fake tear and gathering her breath back, she ignored a glare from Sam and sighed deeply.

"We have a new winner," Kim replied, slowly applauding Dean's story. Dean smirked and nodded his head because even a small laugh from Kim was a big achievement for Dean. She wasn't the laughing type where the sound of her voice would fill the room and she would bounce on her feet, swaying around in happiness. She was more of a calm laughter with small huffs or chuckles that were easily missed.

•※•

 _"Well, um... Yeah, uh, thanks," the student stuttered, awkwardly. Sam slowly released the student from his hug, looking him deep in the eyes as they separated, creating more awkward tension between the four of them as Kim and Dean watch from behind. "Thanks for the hug, but, uh, I'm okay. Really. To tell you the truth, whatever happened to Curtis, he had it coming." Dean stepped forward a bit, showing his interest._

 _"Why is that?" Dean asked._

 _"He's our pledge master. Put us through hell this semester and got off on it. So now he knows how we feel," the student informed. Dean nodded and looked to Kim and Sam._

 _"It's okay."_

 _The three of them headed to their motel room. Kim swung the door open tiredly and waddled herself towards the couch before plonking herself down. One of her legs hung over the arm of the couch while the other rested on the floor. With an irritated sigh, she wiped her eyes and let her arm go limp. She was over not knowing what was going on._

 _"Still doesn't make a lick of sense," Dean grumbled as he walked through the door._

 _"Yeah, the only connection is that they're both dickheads," she grouched, grumbling her words. Sam sent her a confused look. "The professor and that frat guy were both dicks. One screwed as many girls he could find and the other found pleasure in torturing his mates; dickheads," she explained mindlessly. Sam took a seat in front of her and sent her a questioning look._

 _"That's a connection?" he scoffed in disbelief._

 _"You know, I would love to hear your ideas."_

 _"Hey," Dean interrupted the childish argument, "she may have a point." Sam rolled his eyes and investigated his bag before looking up at Dean._

 _"Where's my laptop?" Sam asked Dean, specifically. Dean frowned his eyebrows and sent an annoyed look to Sam._

 _"I don't know," Dean replied. Sam scoffs and continued to look in his bag, frustratingly searching for his missing laptop. "Why do you always assume it's me?"_

 _"Cause Kim already has a laptop," Sam answered, not really paying much attention to it._

 _"Think about it. A philandering professor gets a dead girl. A pledge master gets hazed," Dean said, thinking about the theory Kim suggested._

 _"I left it in here," Sam muttered, astonished._

 _"You obviously didn't. I mean, these punishments—they're almost poetic. Actually, it'd be more like a limerick, but still—" Sam approached Dean with an unamused look speak across his face._

 _"Okay, hilarious. Ha, ha. Where'd you hide it?" Sam asked._

 _"Guys—"_

 _"What, your computer?" Dean asked, not paying attention._

 _"Yeah, where'd you hide it?"_

 _"Stop arguing—"_

 _"Why would I take your computer?" Dean scoffed._

 _"Because no one else could have, Dean! Kim was with me the whole time and we keep the door locked. We never let any maids in," Sam explained._

 _"Looks like you lost it, Poindexter," Dean smirked._

 _"Dude, you know something? I put up with a lot from you," Sam admitted angrily. Kim watched from a safe distance as their bickering became more intense, sighing at their immaturity._

 _"What are you talking about? I'm a joy to be around," Dean grinned happily, gesturing to Kim to back him up. Kim put her hand up in retreat and slightly scoffed._

 _"Don't drag me into your relationship troubles."_

 _"Yeah? Your dirty socks in the sink, your food in the fridge," Sam replied, ignoring Kim's comment._

 _"What's wrong with my food?" Dean asked, highly offended._

 _"It's not food anymore, Dean! It's Darwinism."_

 _"I like it."_

 _"All I ask from you, the one thing, is that you don't mess with my stuff!"_

 _"You done?" Dean growled annoyed._

 _"You know, how would you feel if I screwed with the Impala?" Sam suggested smugly._

 _"It'd be the last thing you ever did," Dean promised._

•※•

"Did you take his computer?" Bobby asked Dean, wearily.

"Serves him right, but, no," Dean replied, grouchily. Bobby turned to Kim asking the same question.

"No," she huffed.

"Well I didn't lose it, 'cause I don't lose things." Sam protested, angrily. Kim rolled her eyes as Dean argued back.

"Oh, that's right, yeah, cause he's Mr. Perfect." Dean scoffed. Bobby sighed heavily before turning to Kim.

"How you're still here, I have no idea," Bobby muttered to Kim, eyeing the two brothers. Kim huffed a small laugh and looked at him.

"I could ask you the same thing," she replied, raising an eyebrow. Bobby nodded and smiled slightly.

"They're my boys," he responded proudly. "Okay, okay," Bobby said louder, getting the boys attention, "why don't you just tell me what happened next."

"There was one more victim. Now, we didn't see this one ourselves, either. We kind of put it together from the evidence. But this guy—He was a research scientist. Animal testing," Sam explained.

"In other words; a dickhead," Kim sassed, turning to Sam to argued against her idea. "Long story short, a scientist professor from the college was found mutilated in the sewer with the belly scales of an alligator near him, kinda like the urban legend when the kid flushed his baby alligator down the toilet and it grew in the pipes. Anyway, that's when Sam suggested that we call you," Kim explained.

•※•

 _Dean walked down the alley that contained the sewer and back to where the Impala was parked, a deep growl leaving his throat as he saw that all four tiers om his car was flat._

 _"Son of a bitch!" he cried angrily, marching his way around the car to inspect the rest of the damage when he found a money clip on the ground, engraved with 'S.W.'_

 _Back at the motel room, Kim was on her laptop frustratingly researching whatever she could about whatever they were hunting while Sam was reading a book comfortably sitting on the couch._

 _"You think this is funny?" Dean growled at Sam, who looked up at him confused._

 _"It depends. What?" he responded quickly, not sure of what his brother was talking about._

 _"The car!" Dean yelled angrily._

 _"What about the car?" Kim asked casually from the side-lines._

 _"You can't let the air out of the tires, you idiot. You're gonna bend the rims!" he yelled at Sam._

 _"Whoa, wait a minute. I didn't go near your car. I was here the whole time, ask Kim," Sam gawked._

 _"Oh, yeah? Huh. Then how'd I find this?" Dean held up the money clip that was filled with cash. Sam pet his pocket and stood immediately when he didn't feel it there_

 _"Hey, give me back my money," Sam ordered._

 _"Oh, no, no. Consider it reparations, for, uh, emotional trauma," Dean sassed. Kim watched from the couch, slowly standing, not interested in being involved in a brotherly argument that seemed to be heating up quickly._

 _"Yeah, very funny. Now, give it back," Sam demanded, reaching for it, but Dean pulled it back out of Sam's reach._

 _"No," Dean replied._

 _"Dean, I have had it up to here with you," Sam replied, gesturing to the height of his head._

 _"Yeah? Right back at you!" Dean growled._

 _Sam reached for the money again. Dean avoided his grasp. Sam grabbed at him again and then tackled him to the bed behind them. They both struggled as Dean desperately held the money away from Sam as Sam eagerly reached for it, crawling over his brother to get it._

 _"Okay, that's enough!" Kim shouted running to the bed, attempting to pull Sam off Dean._

 _"Get off me!" Dean yelled._

 _"Give it back!" Sam responded. With a heavy heave, she yanked Sam off of Dean, the two of them red with anger. Their hair was a mess and the sheets were ripped. Their jackets laid half off of their shoulders and Kim threw Sam away from Dean, both panting. In an eager attempt to stop the childish bickering, she put her hand out near head, helping him out of the bed and sneakily took the clip of money out of his hand as she did._

 _"You're the dickheads," Kim hissed as she held Sam's money up before handing it back to Dean, licking her lips as she walked past Sam and back to her laptop._

•※•

"Okay, I've heard enough," Bobby huffed annoyed.

"You showed up about an hour after that," Dean replied honestly.

"I'm surprised at you two. I really am. Sam, first off, Dean did not steal your computer," Bobby confirmed to Sam.

"But I—"

"Shh, shh, shh, shh! And Dean, Sam didn't touch your car," Bobby continued.

"Yeah!" Sam agreed.

"And if you all pulled your head outta your asses, it all would have been pretty clear," Booby grouched angrily.

"What?" Dean asked.

"What you're dealing with," Bobby continued.

"Uh..." Sam stuttered, thinking.

"I got nothing," Dean replied after thinking for a second.

"Me neither," Sam replied. They looked to Kim who had a black expression on her face, scratching her head, determined to figure out what the hell this thing was.

"I feel like an idiot, but I have no idea," she responds, sighing.

"You got a trickster on your hands," Bobby explained.

"That's what I thought," Dean said, nodding his head along. Kim sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Oh, shut up."

"I got to tell you... you guys were the biggest clue and poor Kim was stuck in the middle of it," Bobby explained.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"These things create chaos and mischief as easy as breathing, and it's got you so turned around and at each other's throats, you can't even think straight." Kim groaned in frustration ran her hand through her hair.

"The tires and laptop, of course," Kim huffed, annoyed at herself for not seeing it sooner.

"It knows you're onto him, and it's been playing you like fiddles," Bobby continued.

"So, what is it? Spirit, demon, what?" Sam asked.

"No, it's more like a demigod. Like Loki, the God of Mischief," Kim explains.

"They're immortal, and they can create things out of thin air. Things as real as you and me. Make them vanish just as quick. The victims fit the M.O., too. Tricksters target the high and the mighty, knock them down a peg, usually with a sense of humor—deadly pranks, things like that," Bobby continued.

"Bobby, what do these things look like?" Dean asked.

"Lots of things, but humans, mostly," Bobby replied.

"And what human do we know that been at ground zero this whole time?" Dean asked, turning his head to Sam and Kim. The both of them realise exactly who Dean's talking about.

•※•

 _The janitor locked a gate with a key attached to his belt while Sam, Dean, and Kim followed him up a staircase casually._

 _"Sorry, I'm dragging a little ass today, guys. Had quite the night last night. Lots of sex, if you catch my drift," the janitor said, smiling mischievously. Kim scoffed a laugh at his bluntness, looking down with a smirk._

 _"Yeah, hard not to. Listen, we won't be long," Dean replied, distracting the janitor while signalling Sam behind the tricksters back. "We just need to check up on a couple offices."_

 _"No problem," the janitor replied, with a friendly smile._

 _"I, uh, forgot something in the truck. You know what? I'll catch up with you guys," Sam insisted._

 _"Yeah, sure," Kim added, standing next to Dean. The tree of them continued walking up the staircase while Sam rushed downstairs to snoop around._

 _Kim and Dean followed the janitor upstairs as he started talking to them about nothing in particular. Kim just nodded her head along as he spoke about girls and things like that. Kim's eyes scanned the hallways as they walked, not paying much attention to the boys as they talked, only coming to her senses when she heard her name._

 _"Kim?" the janitor asked._

 _"Huh, yeah?" Kim asked, looking at him with a weary smile._

 _"Just askin' how you like the electrician training," he repeated._

 _"Oh," she smiled, "you know. A job's a job. It's messy but you get used to it," she said with a small smile, eyeing Dean. The janitor raised an eyebrow and released a little smirk. "And it's not that bad being stuck with the boys." Dean looked deep in her eyes, ignoring the janitor's presence. Kim met his gaze as he scanned her face. With a small smile, Kim let out a tiny laugh that wouldn't have been heard if he hadn't been paying attention to her. Luckily, Dean was. Taking in everything he could, every small detail Kim had. Dean let out a chuckle as Kim released an awkward cough and quickly looked away from Dean and back to the janitor. "Can't wait for the training to be over with though."_

 _The janitor looked at her with a smile, before nodding his head and continuing his journey._

•※•

"Just 'cause he reads the Weekly World News doesn't mean he's our guy. I mean, you read it, too," Sam said to Dean, who insisted that the janitor was the trickster. Kim didn't know what to believe because there was no proof of anything.

"I'm telling you, it's him," Dean insisted.

"There's not really any proof," Kim said, gesturing to the newspaper.

"Another thing Bobby mentioned was that these suckers have a metabolism like an insect, a real sweet tooth," Dean continued.

"I didn't find any candy bars or sugar. Not even Equal," Sam replied.

"Probably missed something," Dean sassed.

"I don't miss things," Sam replied as if it was obvious.

"Oh, right, 'cause you're Mr. Perfect." Dean sassed.

"Okay, guys, that's enough," Kim interrupted but was easily ignored by both the brothers.

"What? Are you really still pissed at me 'cause of what the trickster did?" Sam asked, almost shocked.

"You been a tight ass long before that trickster showed up," Dean replied.

"Oh, that's enough. Dean and I will stay with the trickster, keep an eye on him. Sam, go see if you can find hard proof," Kim interjected. "Sorry Dean, but I need more to go on than that."

"Just wait till I get back, okay? Okay?" Sam confirmed.

"Okay!" Dean yelled angrily.

Kim and Dean watched as Sam walked off, trying to find new evidence. Both of them stood there awkwardly for a second, not saying a word. Kim's hands moved to play with her necklace chain as Dean stumbled around, not knowing what to do. After moments of silence, Dean spoke.

"Ah, screw this." Dean entered the building, ignoring the roaring protest from Kim as she followed behind him. Dean quickly turned around to shush her, making her roll her eyes. He poked his head around the corner cautiously, holding up a flashlight. Quietly, they both walk up the staircase and when they reach the top, they put their flashlights away, Dean grabbing out his wooden stakes from his jacket. Then, he heard something behind him causing him to instinctively tuck the weapon back in his jacket and entered the room where the noise came from; the theatre.

On one-half of the stage was a red bed with a tacky canopy and a slowly rotating disco ball. On the other was a stack of first edition classic books, presented neatly in a row. Two women and the trickster were sprawled out on the bed seductively. As they got to the stage, the two women crawled towards Dean.

"We've been waiting for you, Dean," the brunette woman whispered seductively.

"You guys aren't real," Dean growled as he watched the girl crawl to the edge of the stage, egging him to come closer.

"Trust me, sugar, it's gonna feel real." Dean laughed nervously, and Kim rolled her eyes.

"Come on. Let us give you a massage," the blonde one said, touching Dean's shoulder.

"You know, I'm a—I'm a sucker for a happy ending. Really, I am, but... I—I'm gonna have to pass," Dean stuttered, disappointingly.

"They're a peace offering," the trickster said from the audience. "Same with the books. I know how much you want them, sweetheart," he continued. "I know what the three of you do. I've been around a while. Run into your kind before."

"Well, then you know that we can't let you just keep hurting people."

"Come on! Those people got what was coming to them. Hoisted on their own petards. But you three—I like you guys. I do. So treat yourself... Long as you want. Just long enough for me to move on to the next town."

"Yeah, I don't like the sound of that," Kim said, shaking her head. "But, you are the... nicest monster I've met."

"Monster?" he asked, offended.

"You kill people because it's fun," she hissed.

"They deserve it," he reasoned before sighing, looking at the two of them lowly. "I don't want to hurt you; and you know that I can."

"Look, man, I—I got to tell you, I dig your style, all right? I mean—" he chuckled, "I do. I mean... and the slow-dancing aliens—" Dean chuckled.

"One of my personal favorites, yeah."

"But, uh, we can't let you go."

"Too bad. Like I said, I like you. Sam was right. You shouldn't have come without him. You'll need all the help you can get," he said with a smirk.

"Well, I'll agree with you there." The theatre door slammed shut. The trickster looked back, at the stairs to see Sam who just entered, and Bobby stood at the top of the next aisle, also with a stake.

"That fight you guys had outside—That was a trick? Hmm. Not bad. But you want to see a real trick?" he mused. A masked man with a chainsaw appeared near Sam and attacked. The brunette attacked Dean as the blonde attacked Kim. The trickster watched, entertained, as Bobby and Sam grapple with chainsaw man and Dean fights the brunette women.

Kim fought ruthlessly, punching the blonde in the face, sending her stumbling backward. Taking the stake out from her jacket, she whacked it across the blonde's head.

The brunette tossed Dean into the seats near the trickster.

"Nice toss!" the trickster said. "Dean... Dean, Dean, Dean." Sam tossed Dean the stake as Kim continued to fight the blonde. "I did not want to have to do this," he said gravely.

Sending a low kick, Kim swept the blonde off her feet causing her to crumble to the ground and before she could get up, Kim sent the stake through her head and watched as she turned into a mist and died.

"Me neither," Dean growled. He stabbed the stake through the heart of the trickster in the stake, grinding it down, the last woman and chainsaw man disappeared. Dean pulled the stake out and the trickster's body fell into a seat.

Sam and Bobby approach Dean and Kim who were breathing heavily from the fight.

"You guys okay?" Dean asked.

"Yeah. I guess," Sam replied.

"All I got to say... he had style." Dean groaned and staggered outside, the others following behind him.

"Thanks a lot, Bobby," Kim said, walking to the Impala.

"Hey, save it! Let's just get the hell out of dodge before somebody finds that body," Bobby suggested.

"Yeah." Sam stopped outside the Impala and looked to Dean, sorrowful.

"Look, Dean, um... I just want to say that I'm, uh... Um..."

"Hey. Me too," Dean said with a ghostly smile on his lips.

"You guys are breaking my heart. Could we please just leave?" Bobby grumbled. Kim smirked playfully and slipped herself into the backseat. Sam and Dean exchanged a look over the top of the car before they got in and drove away.


	17. Chapter Fifteen

The four of them drove silently through the night, not another car to been seen for miles and miles. The night was dark and the air was still, creating an eerie sensation in the car. Kim sighed, tiredly as she leaned her head up against the closed window of the backseat, feeling the vibrations that ran through the car on the top of her head as she rested. Her eyes we're heavy but she kept them open, watching the scenery outside. The land was hidden with shadows and the trees outlined a silhouette from the moonlight. She sighed blissfully at it, enjoying the quiet.

Sam sat in shotgun, his head limply lying on his shoulders as he slept, the moonlight hitting a small part of his face. His peace seemed overdue and a good night sleep seemed to be in order for him. His hair fell over his face as they drove, covering one cheek. It's not often a hunter gets a well-rested sleep and it was clear that he enjoyed his well-deserved rest.

Kim believed Dean was also in desperate need of sleep after constantly keeping an eye on his brother. He seemed so dedicated to him in ways Kim never thought possible. Dean turned his head to watch his brother sleep, before turning back to the road to make sure Sam got to his destination safely. Kim knew that he was tired, but he was too stubborn to let her drive. So she stayed up with him, enjoying the silence while it lasted and hoped that tomorrow wouldn't be a day like the last.

As she sat in silence with an indecipherable curve on her lips. She couldn't help but think about her sister. Kim never saw it back then, being an ignorant child, that Sarah was so dedicated to her, protecting her in any way possible. Whatever smile Kim had on her lips slowly disappeared when she thought of her sister, a burrowing sadness dug deep into her already hurting heart. Shivers of disgust ran down her arms and she breathed slowly and felt as every muscle in her body to tense.

The three of them were on their way to the nearest motel after a long drive from Bobby's – Kim decided to leave her car there, under protest – The road seemed long forgotten and deserted, not a car on the road or a light in sight.

"Dean," Kim whispered, "I don't think there's another town for miles." Dean tiredly looked over his shoulder and saw Kim leaning against the window. Sighing, he looked back at the lonely road.

"I'm not stopping and you're not driving," he states, as if he knew what she was asking without even saying it.

"Dean..." Kim insists.

"No, I'll drive until we find a town. If it takes another hour it takes another hour. I mean it's only..." Dean looks at his watch, "2:13," he continued. Kim sighed and nodded her head, moving it away from the window.

"Fine," she sighed, "fine, I'll stay up with you." Kim looked out the other window and saw the clouds in the sky shine with moonlight. With a deep breath she let her head fall against the window again.

After another hour or so of silence and staring at the moonlight, Dean drove past a few building, one indicating that it was a motel with vacancy. Dean pulled into the parking lot making the gravel road flick up dust. Dean smiled happily and parked the car, relived that they had finally found a motel. Exhaustion ran through everyone's body and Kim could feel her muscles weighing her down. Even with the motel only meters away, she just wanted to sleep where she was.

Kim rubbed her eyes tiredly and tapped Sam on the shoulder, attempting to wake him up. Sam shook his head as he woke, looking around until he saw Kim from behind him. With a weak glance she looked at the sleepy man and the bags under his eyes.

"We found a motel," Kim whispered. With a small nod, the three of them got out of the car and Kim immediately smelt the dust that was unsettled from the road.

They waddled up to the front desk and Kim asked for a room with three beds. The man behind the desk nodded and handed Kim a key. She took it was a small smile and handed the man a credit card, but before the man could take it, Dean took it from her grasp and gave the man his.

"You paid for the last shared room." Kim nodded gratefully and put the credit card back in her pocket. She took the key to the room, watching the brothers follow her, dragging their feet and lazily opened the door. Without having the energy to care about anything else, she chucked the key on the table, plopped her bag on the floor and flopped onto the nearest bed, not bothering to change. She buried her head into the pillow and wrapping herself in the blankets and closed her eyes, hopefully not to open for at least another three hours.

•※•

Kim shuffled in her sheets as the wrapped around her legs and head. Pulling one arm out of the tangle of sheets, Kim reached up and rubbed her eyes. Lazily, she let her hands drop and her eyes flutter open, but she instantly wanted to fall asleep again. Groaning, she rolled herself out of bed and looked to her side to see Dean still asleep, the bed sheet in between his legs and his mouth wide open, while Sam was sitting on the round motel table, staring intensely at his laptop.

Sighing, she walked to the kitchen and got a glass of water. Bringing it to her lips she felt the water cool her down as she drank it. The chilling thrill speed through her body, cooling down the heat that spread though her veins. It was relaxing, chilling and overall soothing as she listened to the tapping of Sam's laptop.

A sharp white pain tricked down Kim arm as she held the glass. She tensed her muscles and dropped the glass, hearing it shatter as it hit the floor. She let out a scram that sent Dean hurling from his bed and towards Kim. The pain clenched her heart, feeling as if it was tearing at it. A white fiery strike slid down her legs, collapsing her knees as she fell helplessly towards the broken glass. The fire ran up her body, making her sweat and tense. Heat ran to her head as she screamed in pain, unable to move from the ground, her eyes squeezed shut.

Uncontrollable, she stayed paralysed on the ground upon the broken glass. She could feel her lungs closing and collapsing, unable to breath in. A rush of pressure built up in her head and lungs, unable to release the tension. She could feel her muscles aching in her flesh and the heat rising up, hitting her in waves. It became unbearable and uncontrollable.

For a brief second, Kim managed to open her eyes and let in a breath, but it wasn't substantial. The pain continued and the heat rose to an unbearable heat and uncontrollable pain. With the breath she took, she let out a scream that could shatter windows. Sam and Dean quickly covered their ears as they watched helplessly as Kim laid paralysed on the floor. The pain wouldn't stop, I would not stop. It was always blaring, spreading throughout her body.

All at once, she felt it all slip away. The pain and the heat left from every place in her body. Desperately, Kim took in a deep breath, filling her lungs with much needed air. She muscles were sore and weak, barely able to move them but she managed to pull the top half of her off the floor, using her hands to lean on. Breathlessly, she looked up at a shocked Sam and Dean who quickly grabbed her by her upper arms and pulled her to the bed.

Weakly, she laid down, unable to keep her sore muscles holding her body weight. Taking one last deep breath, she managed to pull her arm up and wipe her sweaty forehead. She pulled herself up, so that she was sitting on the bad and stared at the boys with a blank expression, before quickly turning her head.

"I'm fine," she whispered, not making eye contact. Dean sent her a weird look which she ignored.

"Uh, no you're not. What the hell is going on with you?" Dean asked.

"I don't know!" she yelled irritated, the annoying anger built up in her. "I don't know," she whispered. Sam looked at her, watching the sweat drip form her head. He could tell she was in pain, she was always in pain. He could see the strength she had but it looked – at this moment – that she was about to give up. As if it wasn't worth any of it. The pain, the anger, the injuries. But he also knew that she was never one to complain.

"What did Pamela say?" Sam asked. Kim looked up at him, a sympathetic expression on his face. Slowly, her eyes looked to Dean who look deadly serious. She had hoped they had forgotten by now. Avoiding eye contact, her hand moved to her chain and rubbed it though her fingers.

"Uh, I'm not even sure. I honestly don't believe a word she said, I'm not the type to believe whatever a stranger says, especially not with this stuff. But she mentioned something about a great power, but she couldn't quite put her finger one it. I'm not sure, it could be a load of bullshit for all I know," she muttered, rambling. "All I know is that it hurts like hell."

The boys looked at her for a second, suspiciously, not sure if she was telling the entire truth.

"So, you have what Sam has, for sure?" Dean asked, clarifying.

"Yeah, I guess. Just... a different ability," Kim continued.

"Do you know what it is?" Sam asked.

"Well, she didn't tell me anything, but I assume I make people feel pain, like what happened to Dean," she assumed. The boys nodded. "But I'm not sure if it works on the supernatural. Really, it's just a nuisance," she grumbled. Kim tied to move her legs, but she felt the glass move around in her knee. Sorely, Kim pulled out a small piece of the glass out of her knee and chucked it on the floor. She breathed in intensely, the pain running up her leg.

"Sam, get the first aid kit," Dean told Sam. Dean knelt, his eyes glued on Kim's knee. His hand slowly caressed her tense skin, feeling the glass in her flesh. Slowly, he wrapped his had around a chunk of glass and looked up at Kim.  
"This might hurt a bit." And not a second later, Dean pulled out the glass from her knee. Sam returned with tweezers, alcohol and bandages, handing them to Dean who didn't avert eye contact with Kim. Dean, slowly moving his eyes away from Kim's. Carefully, Dean used the tweezers to pull out the tiny pieces of glass out of her knee. They watched as the blood dripped from them, onto the floor.

They were there for a while, Dean was content on making sure every single piece of glass was gone before he applied pressure to her wound. Dean's hand caressed her knee, feeling for any more glass. After he was satisfied with his work, he soaked her wound in whisky and wrapped it up in nice a tight.

Kim looked down at her knee and nodded gratefully.

"Thanks," she muttered, showing a dim gratitude. She didn't mean to make it sound so dull, but she was never the type to be filled with emotion, let alone gratitude.

"No problem," he said, sitting up, grabbing the bottle and taking a swig. Kim rubber her eyes and pushed herself off the bed. Her knees wobbled, but she pushed the pain aside and walked to the rotting couch.

"What time is it?" she called out to Sam who was on his laptop. Sam's eyes moved around his screen and found the clock.

"Uh, it's 11:43," he replied. Kim nodded and went and grabbed a book, 'The Pride and the Prejudice.' She may had already reread the book time over again, but it was a great book and she would never deny that she would continue to reread it over and over again.

A tiny stream of pleasure plastered on her face as her fingers danced over the crusty edges of the book pages. The tattered book cover was held firmly in her hands as her eyes easily grazed over the words, it was as if she could rewrite the book herself, word for word. The rough feeling on her fingertips and the warm feeling spread though her heart as she flipped the page. Her mind had left to another world and she payed no attention to her surroundings, too invested into the story to care what happens in the real world.

Hours later, Kim finished her book _again_ and sighed putting the book down. Boredom consuming her quickly as her eyes scanned the room. Sam was still on his laptop researching a case and Dean was doing God knows what. She groaned lazily when she realised she still hadn't changed from yesterday. Rolling her eyes at herself, she shoved her hand into her pocket as she stood up from the couch and shuffled to her bad, where her clothes were.

She furrowed her eyebrows, feeling something in her pocket. Grabbing it and pulling it out, she looked at the folded-up piece of later in her hands. Quickly, she unfolded it and saw a nicely written number on the front of it. Smirking to herself, she looked at the clock, 2:53.

She looked to Sam.

"Hey, have you found a case yet?" she asked, curiously. Without looking up from his screen, he answered:

"Not yet." Kim nodded and grabbed some clothes before heading into the bathroom. After changing, she pulled out her phone and dialled the number, not sure if she wanted Justin to pick up.

She heard the phone ringing, not sure if she should hang up before he–

"Hello?" A deep voice answered. Kim swallowed hard, still debating whether she should hang up the phone. "Hello, anyone there?" The voice asked again.

"Hi? Sorry, um... this is Kim. The girl from the bar," Kim replied, ignoring all of the reasons why she should have hung up. She was bored, Sam hadn't found a case and she had completely forgotten about his number until she found it in her pocket. It was if fate had designed this day of her, if she believed in that stuff.

"Oh yeah. I didn't think you'd actually call," he said with a polite chuckle.

"Trust me, I surprised myself as well," she laughed.

"Well, since you _did_ call, would you maybe want to go out for dinner or something?" he asked nervously, his voice cracking a bit. He coughed manly, to regain his masculinity. Kim huffed a laugh and nodded her head, although he could not see.

"Of course," she replied.

"Great!" She could hear the happiness in his voice. "I know a little restaurant not too far away, maybe I could pick you up?" he offered.

"Oh, um... I'm actually out of town at the moment, so if you send me the address I'll make my own way there," she said, declining.

"Oh," he sounded oddly disappointed, "that's alright. I'll text you the address. Say we meet around... 6:30ish?" he asked.

"Perfect," she replied.

"Great, I'll see you then." With that, she hung up the phone and sighed to herself, sliding the phone into her pocket. She was secretly glad she didn't hang up the phone, this might be an opportunity she'll never have again, to have a normal date with a normal guy, even if it was just for a night.

Since Kim had been following the Winchesters around for a while, Dean thought that it was best if they only used one car. The second Dean mentioned it, she knew he meant leaving her car. Dean would never leave his car anywhere and willingly drive around America in a different car. Kim protested which eventually ended up in an argument but the fight when too far and Bobby had to intervene, telling her to just go with the brothers in the Impala to "stop the baby from whining." Kim huffed a laugh and nodded her head and as she was about to enter the Impala, Bobby whispered to her: "I owe you one."

Kim smiled to herself and walked outside of the motel rooms me pulled out her phone and dialled a newly familiar phone number.

"Hey Bobby," Kim greeted.

"Hey Kim. The boys aren't giving you too much trouble, are they?" he laughed gruffly, and she huffed along.

"Nah, not yet anyway. No, I was wondering if I could take you up on that 'I.O.U'?" she asked, hopefully.

"Kim, it's just a sayin'," Bobby said.

"Okay, well... what if I owe you one?" Kim asked. She heard Bobby sigh from the other end of the phone and she smiled.

"What do ya want?" he groaned. Kim smiled slightly and continued.

"I was just wonderin' if you could... I don't know, maybe bring me my car?" she asked. "I promise, it will be back to you before Dean could even think of an argument," Kim assured. Kim waited hopefully but there was a silence on the other end of the line.

"You're not goin' on a solo hunt, are ya'?" Bobby asked, suspiciously.

"No, I'm not." There was another silence.

"Well, what do you need it for?" he asked.

"Just bring the car over, will ya? You can stay with the boys at the motel for a few hours. I'll be back before midnight. Come on, please, I'll _actually_ owe you one," she asked. She never thought that she would be actually beggingto find a way to her first date. _Begging,_ what a disgusting word. A word Kim though she would never use to describe herself, yet she found herself in a situation where she could.

"Fine, I'll be there in a few." With that, Bobby hung up the phone and Kim smiled to herself.

•※•

After mindless hours of reading and shuffling around, Bobby showed up in Kim's car. With a knock on the door, Sam looked up from his laptop and looked at Dean, who was sitting on the couch.

"Did you call anyone?" Dean asked Sam, who shook his head.

"Nah," he said, getting up and walking to the door while Kim stood up and followed him. As Sam opened the door, a grumpy looking Bobby was revealed. Kim smirked when she saw his displeased face. Bobby reached out his arm and dropped the keys in Kim hand. She smirked and held them firmly, nodding her head.

"Thanks Bobby," she teased through gratitude. "I owe you one."

"Damn right," he grunted. Dean got up and walked to the door, a confused expression on his face. The two brothers stood in the doorway, staring at him in confusion. Kim quickly glanced at the clock. She was grateful Bobby had come when he had, otherwise she wouldn't have had time to get to her date. Smirking, she went to go get dressed, quickly grabbing her bag of stuff and heading towards the bathroom.

Never in Kim's dreams would she have predicted herself in a situation like this, where a guy had given her his number and asked her out. It was something Kim never thought would happen to herself, being a hunter and all so she had barely any clothes to fit the occasion. Most of her clothes were covered in dried blood or torn and her other clothes were baggy with a massage number of pockets, making her look like a rectangle. Most of the time she wouldn't mind wearing things like that since her only concern was hunting, but now that she had a date the clothing just wasn't acceptable.

Diving through her clothes, she managed to pull out a pair of jeans which had minimal blood on it and hugged her curves correctly. They even had a few wear and tear scars, but it looked as if it was a part of the jeans. Then, she pulled on a black singlet, tucking it into her jeans and her cleanest flannel, tying the end together at stomach level.

Nodding, she pulled the tiny amount of makeup she owned out of her bag and tried her best to put it on correctly. She put on her foundation and concealer quickly, hearing the boys getting restless outside the bathroom, then her eyeliner and mascara before filling in her eyebrows.

She stepped back and looked at her self, but she wasn't as proud as she thought she would be. It's not that she did a horrible job but when she looked in the mirror, she didn't see herself. When she was younger, Jo and Kim never used makeup. It was just something that never happened. So, seeing herself all done up was a new experience of her. She licked her teeth and curled her lip slightly, but it was the best she could do. She walked out of the bathroom and glancing at the clock.

"Okay, I'm going out," she rushed and grabbed a bag with some money before slightly jogging to the door, hoping to get out before any questions were raised. She was about to reach for the door handle when she saw a hand placed firmly on the door, holding it closed. Displeased, Kim's eyes traced the arm to a suspicious looking Dean who looked her up and down.

"Where're you going dressed like that?" Dean asked, eyeing her. Kim scoffed.

"Dressed like what?" she sassed.

"I don't know! Dressed up. I mean, you have hips. You don't have hips! And secondly, you're wearing makeup." he finished, pointing to her face.

"Hey," she said swatting his hand away, "so what? Maybe I wanna go out?" she said to him, watching Sam and Bobby slowly walk up behind Dean. Dean's eyes scanned her body again slowly, before stopping at her eyes.

"No," she said firmly, taking his hand off the door and crossing it over his chest. Kim scoffed.

"What do you mean 'no'?" she sassed.

"It means 'no'," he simply replied. Kim couldn't detect a single emotion in his voice. Kim rolled her eyes.

"Sam, Bobby?" she said, asking for help but both of them put their hand up in sender and took a few steps back, signalling not to bring them into it. Kim muttered a few words under her breath before looked back at Dean.  
"Shut up, Dean. I'm leaving." she said, attempting to open the door only for it to be slammed shut. Kim groaned irritated.  
"Back off! This is the first time I'm actually free to go out! Sam hasn't found a case, Ellen's not breathing over my neck and a decent guy has asked me out," Kim groaned. Dean rose an eyebrow.

"So it's a date?" he asked.

"Yes, it's a date," she said, sighing. Dean through about it for a second, giving Kim a slight slither of hope.

"No," he replied blankly. Kim huffed frustrated.

"Nothing bad's gonna happen. I'm gonna go out, have a nice time, came back in a few hours and then I'll join you again in your miserable world," she scoffed but Dean didn't budge, not one bit. "I'm an adult, Dean. You can't stop me!"

"No, you're nineteen!" he corrected, angrily. Kim felt the rush of anger run up her body as the words left his mouth. Her eye sent daggers into him as she bit her tongue from snapping back. Balling her hands into a fist, she released a deep breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Dean, let her go. We both know she's tough enough to take the guy down if she really wanted too," she added, supporting Kim. Dean looked over his shoulder at his brother.

"You don't mind her going out with a guy we know nothing about. Sam, have you learnt nothing?" Dean argued. Sam looked own sheepishly, a sense of distress clear on his face before rubbing his eyebrows. Ignoring his brothers last comment, he replied:

"She has a gun." Dean looked back at Kim as she pulled out her gun from her waistband and showed Dean that it was fully loaded. Dean watched carefully and though about it thoughtfully.

"Fine," Kim sighed in relief as she watched Dean take his hand off the door to let her go. Smiling, she opened the door and excused herself. As she walked to her car she heard:

"Be back by 10!" She glanced over her shoulder to see Dean shouting at her from the motel room. Kim rolled her eyes with a smirk on her face and hopping into her car.

"You gotta love 'em," she muttered to herself before starting her long drive to her fist date.

•※•

After a while of diving in the comfort of her own car, feeling the wheel in her hands and having the freedom to go wherever she pleased, she had found herself at the address Justin had given her. It was a lovely, using looking restaurant that seemed like a nice place to go do a first date.

Walking into the restaurant, she waited at the sign that said ' _please wait here to be seated'_ as she searched the crowed for Justin. There were a few people in the restaurant but not enough for it to be overly noisy. The lightly was dim and the smell of delis hourly cooked food came from the kitchen. Kim sniffed the air slightly, drooling at the smell. It was brilliant, nothing like the junk she's used to eating.

Her attention was brought to a young woman who walked up to her, behind the sign.

"Hi, do you have a reservation?" she asked cheerfully. Kim's lips fell into a lined smile, not appealing ion she cheerfulness.

"Yeah, I think so, under Justin," Kim replied, not quite sure. The girl's eyes scanned the body of paper before landing on the correct name.

"Ah, Justin!" she cheered. "Right this way." The Gil lead her through a sea of family's have a nice dinner and cute couples enjoying each other's company to a small table in the corner of the room where a handsome looking Justin was sat. Kim smiled at him after thanking the woman and sat herself down. Justin smiled when he saw her, glancing her up and down.

"Hi," Kim stated, not rally knowing what to do.

"Hi, how have you been?" he asked, since it had been a week or so since he had met her at the bar. She smiled when she asked.

"Busy," she relied. "You gotta do what you gotta do." Justin smiled at her and nodded in agreement, obviously relating with her.

"Tell me about it. I've just been piled with school work," he replied, nodding. "But by the look of it, it sounds like we both deserve this night off," he chuckled, grabbing his glass of water to cheers. Kim did the same and they cheered to a small night off which they desperately needed.

"Damn right," she smirked, taking a sip of her water. There was a small silence was the drank.

"You look nice," he commented, looking at her. She smiled and nodded once not exactly knowing what to do. A hunter normally never gets complements.

"Thanks," she replied, "don't look back yourself." He smiled at her.

"So, what do you do. I know you're not at school so..." he asked, tying to start a conversation.

"Oh, uh..." Kim reload, not knowing what to say. "I'm taking a gap year. Yeah, with my friends."

"The guys at the bar?" Justin asked.

"Yeah," Kim nodded. "We've just been traveling around America, keeping ourselves busy... more than we'd like too," she muttered.

"That's cool," he said with a smile.

For the rest of the night they talked, ordered their meals and ate it happily. The conversation was always fluid, and Kim found out that Justin was actually a very nice man, with a younger brother and an older sister. He talked about his life, his school and some hobbies he had for himself and by the time they finished their main meal, he had practically finished his life story. Kim didn't mind listening, it was something she thought she was good at.

"So, what about you?" he asked, after they ordered dessert. Kim looked up at him, tying her best to quickly think up a reasonable lie.

"Um, well there's not much to say. I have a pretty boring life," she fake laughed. "I have a sister. She's... twenty-four this year." Kim said, thinking about the answer with a small smile on her face.  
"I haven't seen her in a while, though," Kim added meekly. "She's on a different trip."

"Oh, that's okay. You'll see her soon, right?" he asked, hopefully. Kim smiled sadly and nodded her head, slowly.

"Yeah, hopefully," she whispered. There was a small, sad silence and Kim coughed awkwardly. "My mom and dad are on a similar trip. I didn't go so that I could stay with my friends and do what I liked. I've met a bunch of great people since they left," Kim nodded.  
"But yeah, that pretty much it. Boring as a child, boring now," she laughed as the dessert was placed on the table.

The rest of the night was peaceful conversations as Kim tried her best to keep her family out of her mind. They ate their decedent dessert. Kim decided on a rich camel cake and a delicious chocolate sauce. It was nothing like she had ever tasted.

Kim laughed and smiled throughout the date and before she knew it, she had finished all the food and he time was running out. The waiter came with the bill and placed it on the table.

"I'll get it," Justin hustled, grabbing it.

"No, it's fine. I'll get it," Kim replied.

"No, no, seriously. I would feel bad if I didn't," he laughed. Kim smirked and grabbed her purse.

"Split?" she offered, taking out some cash. Justin smiled.

"Sure."

Kim placed down her half as did Justin and he walked her to her car. It was dark but the little restaurant shone in the darkness adding a slight glow to their faces. Kim leaned on her car as Justin stood in front of her.

"Thanks for the night," Kim smiled slightly. "I really needed it."

"Yeah, me too," Justin smirked, slowly leaning down. His arm softy brushed against hers and she smirked softly. Kim stepped an inch forward and their lips met in a soft, kind kiss.

His lips were rough, and his arm smacked aloud her waist, pulling her closer. Kim's arms were placed firmly on his broad chest. She felt comfortable, natural. His other hand traced up he arm and made her way to her neck, making her feel safe. She smiled into the kiss. Softly, she pulled back and Justin's grip slowly left her body.

"Bye Justin." With that, Kim hopped into her car and drove away. She looked over her shoulder and faintly made out Justin, standing on the road, watching her leave without another word.

Kim smirked to herself, feeling a small connection with him. He was kind, sweet but overall, he made her feel safe. His wide smile and warm laugh made her smile herself. He was like no one she had ever met before. He took away the stress, the pain, the memories and the torture. He was exactly what she needed; but the smile slowly diminished as she thought about her life situation and how she was never going to see him again.

Not if she could help it, anyway.


	18. Chapter Sixteen

The windows of her car frosted at the bottom, the frigid air making Kim stiff in movement as she drove back to the motel room. Justin's absence made the car feel colder than it was, her heavy heart hard to lift. The hum of the car was lonely and miserable, the chills crawling up her arms and closer to her core; she silently longed for the brothers' company. She had been alone for so long, solo hunting and with the brothers she felt like she had something to miss.

She drove into the motel parking lot and parked right outside the motel room. She could see flashes of light coming from the ongoing TV, glowing orange through the curtain. As she entered she saw the Sam and Bobby were watching a movie with Dean sat with his head in his head. All head spun in the direction of the door as she entered.

Pressing her lips into a line, she walked into the motel room, not a word escaping anyone's mouth, only the sound of the movie faintly played in the background. She dumped her bag on her bed, feeling the relief of getting it off her shoulder and a warmth from being around other. Kim looked up into the silent room as Dean marched towards her.

"Where have you been?" Dean asked angrily. Kim furrowed her eyebrows and looked at the clock; 11:43. She hadn't realised it was that late, the drive back seemed shorter than the drive up. Kim laughed awkwardly and took off her flannel, chucking it in her bag.

"Oh, sorry. Lost track of time," she huffed with a shrug, she really didn't think it was that big of a deal, but by the look Dean had sent her, he felt otherwise.

"Lost tra—Something could have happened! But no, you just lost track of time," Dean scolded and Kim held her hands up in surrender and huffed a chuckle.

"Okay, I'm sorry," she said, throwing Bobby her car keys. "There ya go." She looked to Dean and sighed. "Look, I don't want to argue. I'm tired and I just want to relax. If it makes you feel any better, I'm never gonna see him again anyway."

"What, why?" Sam asked, turning around on the couch. Kim looked sadly at him as a single slither of hope radiated in his eyes that Kim had lost a long time ago.

"I'm a hunter, it would have never worked anyway," Kim replied lowly and changed quickly into her pyjamas before sitting on the bed. The guys asked her a few questions about the date. Dean was quite interested in hearing the small details which Kim did not give. But soon after they all went to bed and Bobby made his way home.

•※•

The next morning, Kim woke up to Dean leaning over her, his face directly hovered over her own. She could feel his presence lingering around her as she fluttered open her eyes and revealed a grinning Dean. Instinctively, Kim swatted at it, hitting him in the face.

"Dude!" she exclaimed.

"Rise and shine," Dean smirked, practically dragging Kim out of bed.

The three of them spent the day doing whatever. Sam stayed on his computer, determined to find a case while Kim soon found herself bored after rereading—again—another one of her books. She thought it was a good idea to go find some more, she had free time and it was something she was looking forward to doing. The only problem was that Kim didn't have her car anymore, Bobby took it back, so she had to ask Dean if he would take her, after all, she knew he wouldn't let her drive his precious Baby.

Predictably, Dean said no and since he was also bored, having nothing to do in the motel room, Dean decided that they were going to do what he wanted to do: training. And although it wasn't as interesting as buying some new classic books, she would never refuse the chance to shoot some guns.

Dean and Kim went out for a drive until they found an open area to shoot some random objects. He found a nice open country land where the air was clear and stacks of hay were dotted around the field. There was no one to be seen for miles around. They spent hours training, shooting cans Dean brought with him and they somehow managed to draw a target on a nearby tree. It was a good experience for both Kim and Dean to discover actually how talented the other was. It was never something Kim noticed instantly but he had a scarily good aim. On a hunt, you don't really get the time to think about where to shoot and adjust to get a perfect aim, you shoot when you have the chance.

Dean came to realise that Kim was extremely handy with a knife, well, any weapon with a blade. He watched her from a distance as she moved with such accurate precision, her attack was ruggedly perfect with strength and grace. The skill Kim possessed at such a young age amazed Dean as he watched her move, not that he would admit it to her.

Only when both of them were left heavily panting and their bodies were aching they decided to stop and drive back to the motel, taking their time to admire the country as they drove.

Sam still hadn't found anything and he eventually gave up. The three of them spent the rest of the day doing nothing, cleaning guns, talking and before they knew it, it was late at night and they had overstayed their welcome at the motel.

It was a nice drive down the country with only a few cars to be seen. The sky soon became darker and the moon stayed hidden behind the trees. The night seemed eerily quiet and even the chatter in the car seemed uneasy. The three of them stopped to get some food after seeing a small diner still open, a single light on at the front. Huge pine trees towered over the tiny cafe as they drove down the long driveway to reach it. The road was wet from a misty rain that fell as the night became black. Kim didn't mind stopping to get something to eat, especially when she wasn't paying for it.

"Hey, don't forget the extra onions this time, huh?" Dean told Sam, holding up a small amount of cash to take. Snappily, Sam took the money and glared at Dean.

"Dude, I'm the one whose gonna have to ride in the car with your extra onions." Sam turned to face Kim and pointed to her. "I'm doing you a favour." Dean and Kim grinned and Sam got out of the car, sighing, obviously pissed that he had to be the one to get the food.

"Hey, see if they've got any pie," Dean added. Glaring, Sam shut the door. "Bring me some pie! I love me some pie." Kim smirked from the back, slouching comfortably as they watched Sam enter the small cafe. It was a stereotypical cafe, small and old looking.

Soon after Sam entered the cafe, the Impalas radio became static, the sound consuming the car at a deafening pitch. Dean automatically sent a look over his shoulder to Kim, tension clear on his face. Kim looked around quickly, her hand hovering over her gun. The pressure quickly rose in the car as they searched for any other signs of anything suspicious. Kim's muscled tensed and instantly she became on edge. The radio turned off completely and all was silent.

Quickly, the both of them looked back at the cafe. It was empty. No waitress, no customers, and no Sam. Without hesitation, the two of them sprint out the car and run into the cafe. It was dark and miserable; the smell of coffee and cakes cursed the cafe as it was such a welcoming smell in such a horrid situation. Coffee pots were still steaming while mugs and plated were in pieces on the floor, the room still hot from the sudden absence.

"Sam!" Dean yelled for his brother, his voice radiating through the small area. They both took out their guns and crept through the broken plates and dark. Kim's back pressed against a wall as she turned around the corner into the bathrooms.

"Sam?!" The two searched the place, abruptly finding a customer was face down in a pool of blood. Fear was running through them, Sam was nowhere to be seen and blood was splattered around the cafe, it was if he had never entered. Kim looked behind the counter and saw two staff members limp on the floor, blood drenching their clothes from the slits in their necks.

"Sammy?!" Dean screamed but there was no response. Dean sent a worried look to Kim who had the exact same expression on her face. Dean went to the back of the cafe and opened the back door into the night but Sam was nowhere. "Sammy!?" As Dean closed the door, a dusty substance laced over his fingers. "Sulfur."

"What the hell was that?" Kim spat, running to the car and throwing herself in the front seat quickly as Dean quickly started the car.

"I found sulfur," was all he said. Dean took a deep breath angrily before hectically spinning the car around and speeding down the freeway. Kim had never seen Dean like this, not in the seven months they had known each other. He was angry, devastated, paranoid and he blocked Kim out, ignoring her comment with determination in his eyes. Kim nodded, understanding that it was a traumatic experience, but Dean wasn't the only one who was broken.

"You call Bobby, I'll call Ash."

•※•

It was the break of dawn and the sun had barely risen, causing the land to be dimly lit. The dusty mist hung over the land settling water drops on the grass. The morning air was chilly, but it was least of their problems since the dreary morning reflected their current moods. It was a miserable morning as Kim, Dean, and Bobby stood hunched over the hood of the Impala, pulled over in the middle of the highway, searching a map. The musky air had wrapped around their bodies as they intensely searched the map marked with demonic signs.

"This is it. All demonic signs and omens over the past month," Bobby declared, pointing to the map. Dean and Kim furrowed their eyebrows as they searched it.

"Are you joking? There's nothing here." Dean looked at Bobby in disbelief.

"Exactly," Bobby stated.

"There's gotta be something, like, low-level stuff. Anything?" Kim asked, shaking her head sceptically.

"That's what I'm telling you; there's nothing. It's completely quiet," Bobby continued.

"Well, how are we supposed to look for Sam? What, do we just close our eyes and point?" Dean sassed, annoyed. Kim groaned and rubbed her forehead. It just seems that every minute, things were getting worse. When her phone rang, she quickly answered it.

"Ash, got anything?" Kim asked. Dean looked over to Kim, listening to her conversation.

"Okay, listen, it's a big negatory on Sam," Ash responded, this thick southern accent seeping through the phone.

"You can't get a hint of Sam in this three thousand mile haystack?" Kim asked. "I know you can, Ash. I've seen your work," Kim argued.

"Listen, Kim, I did find something," Ash said softly, making sure no one heard.

"Yeah?" Kim prompted eagerly as Dean stepped closer to the phone to listen.

"I can't talk over this line, Kim."

"Come on, we don't have a lot of time."

"Make time, okay? Because not only does this almost definitely help you find Sam, this is... it's huge. So, get here. Now." With that, Ash hung up and Kim sighed and nodded, having no choice but to go.

"I guess we're going to the Roadhouse. Come on." Without question, the three of them headed to the Impala and made their way to the Roadhouse, the miserable morning following them as they drove.

•※•

The drive was long and rushed as the chilled air seeped into the car. A tense tingling ran down Kim's arm as she sat in the back seat. A dreaded feeling kept washing over Kim as she stared out the foggy window into the empty plains of land. Kim waited patiently as they drove, looking and thinking about nothing in particular. She had no evidence to say something was wrong, but she could feel the pain linger in her heart. Slowly, Dean drove down the road that led to the Roadhouse, Kim's former home. Only the sound of dust being flung up as the car drove down the dirt road could be heard and the smell of ruins cluttered the smoggy air.

"What the hell?" Dean whispered from the front seat as the pulled up to the Roadhouse. Kim's head instantly snapped in his direction, a heavy weight in her heart. A mortifying clench of anxiety stabbed Kim as she looked at Dean.

"What?" she asked hastily, Dean didn't reply with words but instead with a certain distort expression across his face. Slowly her eyes drifted from Dean to the Roadhouse as if she was too scared to look. A tiny petrified gasp escaped Kim's lips as she watched the scene in front of her. Devastation so pure ran through every part of her body, unable to tear her eyes away from the burnt rubbish that was once her home. "No," she whispered in complete grief.

Before Dean could even stop the car, Kim had jumped out of the moving vehicle and ran to the rubble that was once the Roadhouse. She stood there at the foot of the ruins, her eyes scanning the complete destruction of what was now only a memory. The shudder of pain flew through her body as she looked for any signs of movement. Her mouth dropped slightly. Her heart clenched. Her palms sweaty. It was impossible for her to breath. She didn't dare blink in case she missed some slither of hope

"Ash!" she screamed in hope that the smartest man she'd ever know would reveal himself from the pile of burnt wood and be perfectly fine. She searched for movement. Anything. A twitching finger or a little sigh but not a single noise or movement was made. "Ash!" Her throat throbbed in pain. Her misery filled screams echoed in the abyss of land.

"Oh my god," Bobby breath behind her, but she didn't dare look. She could feel her heart sink as she walked through the rubble.

"You see Ellen?" Dean asked. Kim violently shook her head. Although she was struck with grief, her face only showed a slither of sadness.

"No, no Ash either," Kim replied solemnly as she stepped over bundles of charred wood.

Kim's eye stayed down as she walked, not bothering to look up at anything else. Nothing else mattered but finding her family, safe and sound. The smell of sulfur and burnt wood streamed the area and the crunch of what was once an iconic hunters bar sounded after she put her foot down.

Among the rubble of burnt wood and broken furniture was one glistening object that caught Kim's eye. It shone dimly in the dusty, morning light and stood out from the matte wood. Kim fled to the object, staring at it as she got close. Her eyes watered but no tear dropped and her heart tensed to the point where it hurt more than all of her attacks put together. No screams or cries or pleas would describe the utter destruction she felt inside as she slowly bent down and pulled at Ash's watch, only to find it attached to his burnt, motionless body.

A low breath of air escaped Kim's lips. She couldn't breathe, it was impossible. Her lungs were on fire from holding in her heartbreak for so long. It grew and grew to an immense pain that she swallowed hard, determine not to let anything out. Ash loved Kim, she knew that even though it was never said through words.

Kim stared at his body and held back a sniffle. A cry of pain built up in her chest. It was at that moment when nothing else mattered. Not Sam. Not Dean. Nothing. Not one single thought ran through her mind but her dead brother lying under a destroyed pile of memories. She wished she had never stepped out of that car.

"Damn it, Ash," Kim whispered, heartbroken, her voice cracked slightly. After swallowing a had lump of grief in her throat, she slowly bent down and gently took his skull necklace off of him and slowly draped it around her neck.

"Kim, I'm so sorry," Bobby said, walking up behind her and pet her on the shoulder. She flinched slightly before turning around and smiling sadly. Bobby was surprised to see her cheeks utterly dry.

"Aren't we all?" she whispered grief struck. Devastated, Kim dragged herself out of the ruins, trying her best to breath normally again.

"This is..." Bobby muttered, trailing off in utter shock as Kim still tried to wrap her head around what just happened.

"What the hell did Ash know? We've got no way of knowing where Ellen is. Or if she's even alive. We've got no clue what Ash was gonna tell us. Now, how the hell are we gonna find Sam?" Dean spat angrily. Kim snapped her head towards Dean angrily.

"Hey! I get you're upset but show some respect!" she spat. It was like he didn't care that her family was dead. He only cared about finding out what he knew yet here Kim was, trying her best to pull herself together to help Dean. He only ever cared about Sam.

"My brother's missing!" Dean yelled angrily.

"Well, mine's dead!"

Utter and pure rage ran through her and it soon grew to become unstoppable. "If it weren't for you and your brother, Ash would still be alive! So don't come crying to me that your brother 'missing' cause mines lying dead at my feet!" she screamed, sweat rolling down her forehead.

Suddenly, Dean clutched his head in pain, wincing.

"Dean?" Bobby asked, quickly. Again, Dean groaned and doubled over. Quickly, Kim walked over to him as he stumbled around.

"What the hell was that?" she asked.

"I don't know, a headache?" Dean responded. "I could have sworn I saw something..."

"What do you mean? Like a vision? Like what Sam's got?" Bobby questioned eagerly.

"What no! I'm not some psychic," Dean argued. Dean groaned again and fell against the car.

"Dean? Dean! Are you with me?" Bobby asked. "What else did you see?"

"Uh... there was a bell," Dean muttered, still grabbing his head.

"What kind of bell?" Bobby interrogated.

"Like, a big bell with some kind of engraving on it, I don't know," Dean continued.

"Engraving?"

"Yeah."

"Was it a tree? Like, an oak tree?" Bobby asked.

"Yeah, exactly," Dean said, surprised.

"I know where Sam is."

•※•

The drive to find Sam was hectic as Bobby directed Dean in the right direction while Kim sat alone in the back, not making a sound. Not a single word the whole ride. The pain still resonated in Kim's mind as she started at out the window into the dark, empty space. Dean parked the car with a skid, the tired creating smoke and the three of them jumped out of the car and sprinted down the path that led to Sam.

The gravel path was long and eerie, dead trees and shrubs lining it. The air created clouds as they breathed out from panting and her muscles tensed as she ran. Although Ash was always on the back of her mind, she needed to help find Sam, a stern expression on her face as she searched for him.

"Sam?!" Dean yelled, running in front of the crowd. After a while, the three of them entered a clearing where a small, rundown house was placed in a far like setting. The ground was wet with puddles and land was dark, silhouettes of everything outlined the landscape. Dim, shimmering light shone down onto the water. "Sam!" Dean huffed, seeing a bruised and battered Sam stumbled his way towards Dean, a small smile rippled his face as he held his sore arm.

"Dean," Sam sighed in relief, the small light glistening around him. There was a small moment of relief when Kim and Bobby smiled in satisfaction, seeing Sam alive walking towards them. Some pain and tension from Kim slipped from her fingertips as she smiled at Sam. It was a relief that he was there, in touching distance. Kim wasn't sure if she could handle another's death.

"Sam, look out!" Dean yelled. Kim, Dean, and Bobby watched helplessly as the man behind him got up and grabbed a knife, charging towards Sam.

"Sam!" Kim screamed with all her might as she started running towards him. The man stabbed Sam in the back, splitting his spine. He twisted the knife. The sound of bone cracking filled the area, echoing mockingly. Dean charged forward as Sam began to fall and Kim watched in utter shock. Rage, pain, and devastation were the only things Kim could feel as she watched the man run off like a coward, Bobby followed him. Sam fell forward onto Dean's shoulder as they both knelt on the muddy ground.

"Whoa, whoa, Sam. Sam! Hey! Come here. Let me look at you." Quickly, Dean covered Sam's wound on his back and looked his brother in the eyes. He could see the life slipping out of him.

"Hey, look at me. It's not even that bad. It's not even that bad, all right? Sammy? Sam!" Dean grabbed Sam's face and held it in his hands as Sam slowly became limp, Dean could feel it. "Hey, listen to me. We're gonna patch you up, okay? You're gonna be good as new. I'm gonna take care of you. I'm gonna take you care of you. I've got you." Dean stared into Sam's eyes, "That's my job, right? Watch out for my pain-in-the-ass little brother?" Sam's eyes grey limp. "Sam? Sam!" His eyes closed, "Sammy!" as Dean watched his little brother die.

Sam's eyes fell shut, his lifeless body slumping forward onto his older brother chest, Dean held him longingly.

"No. No, no, no, no. Oh, God," Dean whispered. With tears streaming down his face, Dean held his dead brother in his arms, holding him close. "Sam!"

Kim ran as fast as her legs could carry her towards the man that murdered Sam. Her legs tensed, her heart throbbed and a small cry escapade her lips as she ran. Puddles splashed as she ran through them. The cool air filled her lungs as she breathed. Soon, she passed Bobby who was hunched over, out of breath. He looked up to see Kim, an expression on her face that couldn't be described with the world's most horrifyingly depressing words.

"He's too far ahead," Bobby breathed. Kim ignored him and continued to run, anger and pain filing her motivation to sprint as fast as she could. The rage was explainable as she approached a figure in the distance, she pulled out one of her knives and threw it as hard as she could at the figure, a cry of pain escaped her lips. Sweat and tears flew off her face as she threw it as hard as possibly could.

The knife hit the figure in his shoulder as he let out a cry of pain. Kim, with murder in her eyes, charged toward him with another knife and sliced at his face, cutting his lip and cheek.

The man punched her in the face and she flew back and smashed her back into a tree but the pain was nothing compared to what she had felt inside. She gathered her strength and lunged at him and hit him back before kicking him in the chest, causing him to stumble over a log behind him. Smoothly, Kim twisted the knife in his shoulder before ripping it out of his flesh, the wrath seeping through her teeth. Blood splattered everywhere and before Kim could finish him off, with one more stab to the chest, he scrambled away, fighting for his worthless life.

With one last huff, she threw her knife with all the power she had and watched as it embedded itself in his other shoulder and although his cry was loud and painful, it was nowhere near enough to satisfy the emptiness inside of her.

•※•

It was the 17th of May, the day after Sam died.

Dean had Sam's body laid on a bed as he leaned against the arch frame, staring at his motionless brother. Kim leaned against the wall, her head in her hands as she processed what happened yesterday. It had been exactly seven months, three weeks and five days since Kim had met the Winchester brothers and she couldn't help but think it was one of the worst decision of her life. Ever since she met the boys she could see the world crumbling down around her, and Ash's death was only the start.

"Dean?" Bobby asked walking into the motel room with a bucket of chicken in his hand, offering some to him. "Brought you this back."

"No, thanks. I'm fine," Dean refused, barely looking up. Bobby turned to Kim who looked up with a blank face and watery eyes, her strength radiating off her. She shook her head.

"You should eat something," he said to both of them, but they just ignored him. Kim looked down, avoiding eye contact with everyone trying to avert her eyes from scanning over Sam's body.

"I said I'm fine," Dean rasped, turning from Sam's body to the table behind him, taking a swig of beer.

"We could..." Bobby sighed. "Maybe..."

"What? Torch his corpse? Not yet," Dean argued passively. Dean's bloodshot eyes stared into Bobby's as he let out a small huff and looked over to Kim, who had walked out of the bedroom where Sam was and into the kitchen.

"I want you guys to come with me," Bobby proposed.

"I'm not going anywhere." Dean kept his head down, Kim just nodded.

"Dean, Kim, please," Bobby sighed, not knowing what to do. He had to get them out of there, away from the body but neither of them would move.

"Would you cut me some slack?" Dean yelled, growing his arms about. Kim took a deep breath, trying to hold in everything.

"I just don't think you should be alone, that's all. I gotta admit—I could use your help." Dean scoffed. "Something big is going down—end-of-the-world big."

"Well, then let it end!" Dean screamed, shaking the room. The anger poured out of his voice exactly how he watched the blood pour out of Sam. It was heavy and unstoppable and Dean was infuriated with emotion. There was a silence that dragged out as Dean screamed echoed the room.

"It hasn't done anything for us, anyway," Kim huffed.

"You don't mean that," Bobby continued. Dean walked over to Bobby and go tight in his face.

"You don't think so? Huh? You don't think I've given enough?" Dean growled, walking close as Bobby stepped back. "You don't think I've paid enough? We've paid enough," he screamed, gesturing to Kim. "I'm done with it. All of it. And if you know what's good for you, turn around, and get the hell out of here." There was a silence where Bobby waited for someone to protest, not moving his feet. "Go!" Dean shoved Bobby towards the door as Kim stayed silent. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, please just go."

"You'll know where I'll be." Bobby nodded, walking out of the room, leaving Dean and Kim together in their pain. Dean's head turned to Sam, another tear rolled down his cheek. Dean's gaze moved from Sam and onto Kim, who was still looking down, emotionless unable to shed a tear even though her emotions were tearing her from the inside out. Dean studied her for a second but her poker face was strong. It looked as if she could feel nothing at all. She just looked down, her hands crossed and her fingers rubbed the chain. She couldn't stop thinking about Ash and Sam, his lifeless body laying before them where her mind could only drift into sadness. Kim felt Dean sad gaze on her so she looked up, slowly.

"I'll leave you two alone," she muttered before walking out of the motel room. Dean nodded towards her, not saying a single word, scared that if he opened his mouth, nothing would come out. Kim closed the door behind her and sighed, looking up to Bobby looking back at her. She smiled sadly at him.

"Thanks, Bobby," she choked out, nodding slowly.

"Take care of him, will ya?" he asked before leaving. Kim just nodded, feeling the emptiness inside her grow as she reached for her angel pin and started swirling it between her fingers.

It spun gracefully as the smooth diamond brushed against Kim's soft fingers. It was beautiful and elegant, a diamond in the rough. It radiated strength and willpower, qualities Kim believed to have possessed herself. It was filled with the strength of heaven and looked like a priceless work of art. It was precious beyond belief—to Kim, that is. But the weight of the pin held her down and all she wanted to do was rip it off and watch it smash on the floor. What's living if you forever live in pain?

"You know, when we were little—you couldn't have been more than five—you just started asking questions," Dean spoke to Sam's body, smiling slightly. Dean took a breath as Kim listened from the other end of the door. "How come we didn't have a mom? Why do we always have to move around? Where'd Dad go when he'd take off for days at a time? I remember I begged you, 'Quit asking, Sammy. Man, you don't want to know.' I just wanted you to be a kid... Just for a little while longer.

"I always tried to protect you... Keep you safe... Dad didn't even have to tell me. It was just always my responsibility, you know? It's like I had one job... I had one job... And I screwed it up. I blew it. And for that, I'm sorry.

"I guess that's what I do. I let down the people I love. I let Dad down. And now I guess I'm just supposed to let you down, too. How can I? How am I supposed to live with that?" Kim sighed and wiped her forehead, wondering what to do. She couldn't leave him alone, who'd know what he would do. Kim told Bobby she would do her best to watch out for him and that's exactly what she intended to do.

"Dean, it's... it's gonna be okay," she choked out, walking back into the room. Dean was standing there, wiping tears away from his face. Dean looked up at her, his lips shaping a slight frown as anger steamed.

"You're lying to yourself if you believe that," he spat, grabbing some things from the table. "Nothing's going to be 'okay' and you know that, so cut the crap!"

"Give me a break, will ya? I'm tryin' to stop you from doing something stupid while suffering from Sam and Ash's deaths!" she screamed, pointing to Dean. "So count your blessing! I didn't even get to say goodbye!"

"I'm not counting any blessing 'till I get Sam back," Dean spat grabbing his keys to the Impala and pushed his way past Kim, causing her to stumble over her own feet, she fell on her knees.

"Dean," Kim called, watching as he passed her, not glancing back of a second. She knew exactly where he was going. "Don't you dare, Dean!" she yelled, stumbling up and sprinting towards him, nothing else on her mind. She ran but he was too far in front. "Dean!" she screamed, her lungs throbbed. She charged with all she had, her legs burning but she wasn't fast enough. He was already recklessly driving away as Kim slowed down and frantically looked around. She had to stop him. There was no way she would let him do that. She told Bobby she would help and right now, it seemed as if she was failing. She looked around and Dean was no longer in sight. "Damn it, Dean. I have no car!" she screamed, her cracking voice filled with frustration.

Taking a huge breath, Kim ran to the nearest car and broke in, smashing its window and connecting some wires to jumpstart the car. When she heard it purr she quickly shut the door and slammed her foot on the pedal, having no time to lose. The car sped off, leaving skid marks on the road.

Kim sped down the same road Dean drive down, driving just as frantically as he was to the nearest crossroad. Kim prayed that she wasn't too late and he wasn't as stupid as she thought, but the long drive soon ended as she harshly parked her car near the Impala and sprinted out to the sight of Dean kissing a demon.

"Dean!" she screamed, breaking the kiss. The demon stepped back with a smirk on her lips as Dean looked over to Kim who was running towards him. "You absolute idiot!" Kim quickly pulled out a knife laced with holy water and aimed it at the demon, but Dean grabbed her hand before she could throw it.

"I've already made the deal. You're too late," Dean huffed, throwing Kim's arm down.

"Well, if it isn't the only remaining Harper," the demon smiled, walking up to her. Dean sent her a look but she ignored him, staring at the demon. "Don't be so hypercritical," she teased, making Kim tense as the demon circled her. "I know for a fact that if you didn't have that pin you would have made the exact same deal." The demon smiled, caressing Kim's shoulder.

"Don't be so sure," Kim spat through gritted teeth, ripping herself from her grasp.

"Oh, but I am," she smiled. "Like father, like son." The demon pointed to Dean, making a few steps away from her, "and like father, like daughter." Kim's anger boiled up inside her as she listened to the demon babble. With that, Kim through the knife as hard as she could. Sweat poured down her face and her muscle tensed as she let go of the knife. She watched it fly through the air but as it made its way to the demon, she vanished with a puff of black smoke.

Kim screamed in built up fury before facing Dean.

"You selfish idiot! What am I gonna tell Bobby? What are you gonna tell Sam?" Kim spat at Dean who looked down on her.

"Nothing."

•※•

The drive back to the motel was rushed. They both stayed quiet thinking about what just happened, questions running through their head.

"How long d'you get?" Kim asked hastily. Dean looked from the road to the nineteen-year-old next to him. There was a silence as Dean tried to find the simple words to say.

"A year," Dean answered. Kim shook her head and groaned.

"Dammit, Dean." Kim winced at what he said. "Bobby's gonna know the second we see him again," she breathed out, running her hands through her hair.

"I know," Dean huffed, eyes on the road. Kim sighed and stayed silent and looking around, a heavy weight in her heart. After all that Bobby had done for her, she couldn't help but feel like she let him down the only time he asked for help. But she hadn't only let Bobby down, she's let Sam down. The guilt Sam would feel after knowing Dean would go to hell for him would tear him in two and leave a permanent guilt-ridden scar.

"What about you? What's with the pin?" Dean asked, looking to Kim to search for the pin but it was hidden under her jacket.

"Don't worry about it," Kim huffed, wrapping her jacket more around her torso. Dean scoffed and looked down the road.

"Right. Another question, what's your problem with talking to us—"

"It's not you, it's everyone," Kim corrected.

"It doesn't matter," Dean said, shaking off Kim's comment. "I know better than anyone that what private is private but I know nothing about you." There was a silence where Kim was supposed to speak, open up, but she stayed mute. "People call you Harper, right? I've seen that name before. Yeah, David Harper..." Kim looked up at him, she hadn't heard his full name in a while, "I mean, I didn't even know your last name 'till like, five minutes ago." Kim didn't say anything, she only listened. Dean laughed awkwardly for a second.

"You've been with us for what? Almost a year now and I know nothing about you."

"Good," Kim replied casually, not looking at Dean as he turned to face her. "I'm a mystery," she joked with a smile. Dean huffed at the joke, knowing that it was nothing but true.

"I know you are."


	19. Chapter Seventeen

The walk up to the bedroom where they left Sam's body was hasty. Kim sucked in a breath as she stepped up the stairs, only steps behind Dean. As they turned the corner to where they left Sam, laying on a rotting bed with a wet spot of his own blood. Their eyes shifted to the bed; the body had lifted. They entered the room to find Sam standing at the mirror, twister around himself to see the wound that was on his lower back.

Dean's mortified expression quickly shifted into a smile as he saw his brother, alive in breathing as if a gush of life had sprung inside himself as well. A crushing weight was lifted from the room and a sudden comfort settled for a sudden moment.

"Sammy," Dean breathed out in relief as he stepped towards Sam, wrapping his arms around him in a tight, brotherly hug. Dean held Sam close as Kim made her way towards them, a lined smile on her face. Sam stayed still before awkwardly wrapping his hands around Dean in confusion, confused to why he was so friendly.

"Ow, uh, Dean?" Sam replied awkwardly as Dean released him from his crushing hug. Dean smiled up at him, enjoying the sight of his brother moving again just for a moment longer before stepping back.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry man. I'm just... I'm just happy to see you up and around," Dean said smiling wildly. Kim made her way to them and sighed, patting him on the shoulder, obviously not a cheery as Dean. It wasn't that she didn't want Sam back, it the cost that had to be paid to get that It was the fact that Dean could simply sell away his soul without thought of any consequence and Kim was stuck with this burden pinned to her collar when all she wanted to do was rip it off and run back to the crossroads; the demon was right. It was the only thing holding her back, but she knew she'd see Ash again is she just held on for a little longer.

"You're one lucky son of a bitch," Kim huffed, meaning a different thing to Sam than it did to Dean. Sam smiled confused and they both sat down. Sam sent her a bewildered look still not sure what happened.

"Okay, what happened to me?" Sam asked, totally confused. They both sat at a table but Kim got up and walked around the room before finding herself leaning against the wall, facing the boys.

"Well, what do you remember?" Dean asked. Sam looked around trying to remember as much as he could.

"I—I saw you two and Bobby, and... I felt this pain. This sharp pain like—like white-hot, you know, and then you started running at me, and... that's about it," Sam muttered, trying to remember everything as he furrowed his eyebrows.

"Yeah, that—that kid, stabbed you in the back. You lost a lot of blood. It was pretty touch and go for awhile," Dean admitted, recalling the vivid memory and he tried to act as normal as possible.

"But you can't patch up a wound that bad," Sam confronted.

"No, Bobby could. Who was the kid, anyway?" Dean asked, avoiding details he didn't have. Sam's expression immediately changed to hatred and rage.

"His name's Jake. Did you get him?" Sam asked.

"No, he disappeared into the woods. Kim went after him though." Sam looked to Kim as she licked her teeth, silent blaming herself for his escape.

"I tried Sam, I really did but one punch and I flew from one side of the forest to the other," Kim huffed, disappointed. "Stabbed him in the shoulder though. It was as a pretty deep wound."

"We got to find him and I swear I'm gonna tear that son of a bitch apart." Sam stood up sharply, ready to find this guy and tear him to shreds, but Dean stood up in pursuit and stopped him, holding his shoulder.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Easy there, Van Damme. You just woke up, all right? Let's get you something to eat, huh?" Dean said with a polite smile, happy to have his brother back. Kim's lips traced a ghostly smile, also glad to have Sam back. "You want something to eat?" Dean asked Sam. Sam nodded slowly.

"I'm starving. Come on," Dean said and watched as Sam walked out of the motel room and made his way to the Impala. Dean watched him proudly before turning to Kim. "Let's go," he said, gesturing for her to go with them. Kim shook her head and shrugged slightly, just waiting for a moment alone.

"I don't want anything."

"I know you're hungry." Kim sighed and shook her head again.

"My brother's still dead, Dean." Kim grimaced softly, thinking back to Ash's charred body lying dead under the remains of the Roadhouse, along with the rest of her family. Dean simply nodded, not sure how to respond.

"I'll bring you back a burger." Kim nodded and waited for Dean to leave before quickly pulling out her phone and punching in a familiar number.

"Come on, Ellen," she groaned, putting the phone to her ear, hearing it ring. "The one time I call, you don't pick up," she choked out with watery eyes. The line went to voice mail and Kim quickly redialled her. "Come on!" she screamed but the line only continued to ring. Angry, Kim threw her phone to the other side of the room, she watched as it shattered at the impact, but not a tear stained her cheek.

•※•

Dean and Sam were sitting at the motel table, a load of take-out food covered the surface of the table. Dean held a slice of pizza while Sam played with his food, occasionally putting some in his mouth.

"...And that's when you guys showed up," Sam said, finishing his story.

"That's awful. Poor Andy." Dean stared off into the distance.

"The demon said he only wanted one of us to walk out alive," Sam continued, looking up at Dean and Kim. Slowly, Kim made her way towards the boys and crossed her arms.

"He told you that?" Dean asked.

"Yep," Sam scoffed, "he appeared in a dream."

"Did he tell you anything else?" Dean asked protectively.

"No, no, that was it. Nothing else. You know, what I don't get is if the demon only wanted one of us, then how did Jake and I both get away?" Kim sent a glare to Dean as his eyes fumbled around for a bit.

"Well, I mean, they left you for dead. I'm sure they thought it was over." Dean quickly took another bite of pizza. "So now that Yellow Eyes has Jake, what's he gonna do with him?"

"I don't know. But whatever it is, we gotta stop him," Sam insisted.

"Well, hold on. You need to get your rest. We got time," Dean said concerned.

"No, we don't," Sam replied. Kim stood still as she listened to them.

"Sam, oceans aren't boiling, okay? Frogs aren't raining from the sky. Let's get you your strength back first," Dean ordered. Kim nodded.

"You seriously need a break," Kim proposed. "I think we all do." There was a silence as the boys continued eating.

"Well, did you call the Roadhouse? Do they know anything?" Sam asked, looking to Kim for an answer. Kim sighed heavily and swallowed hard, looking around the room to distract her from the pain of answering.

"Yeah," Kim replied, looking down.

"Well, what was it?" Sam asked. Kim swallowed hard before sitting down at the table, opposite Sam, leaning forward and rubbed her eyes.

"We don't know. The Roadhouse burned down before we got to find out, taking Ash and uh... probably Ellen and Jo with it," Kim breathed. "She didn't answer my calls." Kim slightly furrowed her eyebrows sadly as she let out a cracked smile.

"I'm sorry," Sam replied, solemnly. There was a small silence where Kim let out a shaky breath.

"Everyone is."

Kim nodded, looking up at Sam her eyes hollow and colourless. They let the silence drift around the room for a few second as everyone looked down, almost ashamed.

"Demons?" Sam asked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, we think so. We think because Ash found something," Dean explained, taking another bite of pizza.

"What did he find?" Sam asked quickly.

"We've got Bobby working on it," Kim said.

"Well, come on then. Bobby's only a few hours away," Sam said as he struggled to stand up, gripping the table for balance.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Stop, Sam, stop." He jogged and grabbed Sam's shoulder before he could move anymore. "Damn it. You almost died there. I mean, what would I have—" Dean stopped himself and took a breath. "You just take care of yourself for a little bit, huh? Just for a little bit?" Dean begged. He had just got his brother back, but Sam just shook his head.

"I'm sorry, no."

Dean sighed and shook his head as he watched Sam walk out of the motel room. Kim just shrugged and followed him, knowing that he was too stubborn to stop, forcing Dean to follow as well.

•※•

The three of them were slouched in the Impala, driving to Bobby's. It was early in the morning, Dean and Kim hadn't slept all night and the heavy weight of her eyelids made it harder to stay awake. It was a long drive from the crossroads and it looked as if they both were running out of the adrenaline of having Sam back.

Dean pulled into Bobby's junkyard and knocked on his door. Kim stayed behind Sam and Dean, not wanting to face Bobby knowing she disappointed him but she couldn't retreat and go somewhere else, Sam would get suspicious. Slowly, the door opened and Bobby peeked out before showing himself, a looked of ghastly astonishment over his face, his mouth dropped open a bit. Kim shuffled awkwardly in the back, already feeling the guilt boiling up inside her. Bobby scanned the upright body of Sam as he greeted him, not quite sure exactly how he got there.

"Hey, Bobby," Dean said before quickly looking away.

"Hey, Bobby." Sam nodded with a little smile. Kim just smiled at him sadly but his eyes didn't move to her. He didn't even register that she was there. Bobby just stared at Sam, his eyes slightly widened.

"Sam. It's good to see... you up and around," Bobby said to the boy as casually as he could.

"Yeah, well... thanks for patching me up," Sam smiled slightly, moving past Bobby and walked into his house.

"Don't mention it," Bobby breathed, flabbergasted as Sam strolled past him as if nothing had ever happened. Dean sent a glimpse of a smile to Bobby before shuffling past him as well, ignoring the obvious glare that Bobby was giving him. Bobby's glare followed Dean as he walked. Bobby stopped him after only taking a few short steps inside his house.

"Well, Sam's better. And we're back in it now, so... what do you know?" Dean asked cautiously as Bobby continued to glare and Dean continued to ignore it. Sam sent a weird look to Kim about Bobby's glare to which she responded with a casual shrug.

"Well, I found something. But I'm not sure what the hell it means," Bobby said normally after they had settled into his house.

"What is it?" Sam asked, eagerly.

"Demonic omens... like a frickin' tidal wave. Cattle deaths. Lightning storms. They skyrocketed from out of nowhere. Here." Bobby pulled out a map and pointed to Wyoming. "All around here, except for one place... Southern Wyoming."

"Wyoming?" Dean asked, confirming. Bobby nodded and looked back down on the map.

"Yeah. That one area's totally clean. Spotless. It's almost as if..." Bobby muttered, trailing off.

"What?" Sam asked rapidly. Bobby looked up at them.

"The demons are surrounding it," Bobby breathed.

"But you don't know why?" Kim asked, leaning on the table.

"No, and by this point, my eyes are swimming. Sam, would you take a look at it? Maybe you could catch something I couldn't," Bobby huffed, flustered with his work.

"Yeah, sure." Sam nodded, moving his way towards the front of the map.

"Come on, Dean. I got some more books in the truck. Help me lug 'em in." Bobby grouched lowly and threateningly as he sent Dean a glare and nudged him out the door, grabbing his jacket on the way out. Kim could see Dean was dreading the upcoming conversation, but he knew it was gonna happen, Kim even warned him about it.

"Yeah." Dean nodded and Kim watched as Bobby and Dean marched out of the room, leaving Sam and Kim alone. Kim rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath before looking at the map again. As she was scanning it, her vision blurred but she quickly shook it off. There was a comfortable silence in the room as Kim sent small glances to the window, wanting to know what hell Bobby was giving Dean. However, she knew she wasn't welcome into the conversation, so she stayed put, keeping her mind focused on the map.

Kim moved away from the map, walking back and sitting on Bobby's couch. With her head in her hands, she ran her fingers through her hair. She let out a silent, deep breath and looked up at Sam who looked down at her sympathetically.

"What's wrong?" he asked normally. Kim stayed silent for a bit, thinking about the answer. Ash was dead. Ellen was missing. Jo was God-knows-where. Her home was burnt to a crisp. Dean was being sent to Hell. She was hiding the world's biggest secret from Sam for Dean's sake and all while she managed to let Bobby down. Everything was wrong. Everything in her life was falling apart and she was in the centre of it, watching it crumble into the pits of Hell.

"Nothing," she replied, "just tired."

"Didn't you sleep?" he asked. Kim just huffed and rubbed her eyes again.

"Nah, too worried about you," she smiled sadly. Sam mimicked her expression and looked back at the map for a second, letting the silence fill the room. Slowly, he looked up at her cheerless expression.

"Ash was a great man," Sam said suddenly. Kim looked up and nodded softly, a linger of a smile on her lips as she thought about him.

"Yeah, he was," she said with a smile as memories arose in her mind. There was another silence.

"Um... Kim, I know this may not be the most important thing on your mind right now but I need to address it," Sam said to Kim, looking down. "You weren't taken to the town... everyone with an ability was," Sam muttered, glancing up at her. Kim nodded and sighed.

"Yeah, I know." There was a silence where the two of them looked around the room. Kim had no explanation for what had happened but it wasn't her biggest priority at the moment. Kim rested her head on the back of the couch when Bobby, Dean, and Ellen walked into the room.

"There she is," Dean muttered to Ellen, signalling to Kim. Kim stood up immediately and sighed in relief, wiping her face.

"Oh, thank God," Kim breathed as Ellen engulfed her in a protective hug. Kim tightly wrapped her arms around Ellen and rested her head on her shoulder. "You don't know how good it is to see you," Kim admitted, pulling away with a lippy smile. Ellen smiled widely and caressed Kim's face.

"Trust me, I know." Ellen smiled before pulling Kim into another hug.

"How's Jo?" Kim asked hastily. Ellen smiled and nodded.

"Alive and clueless," Ellen muttered. "She doesn't know." Bobby walked in with a shot glass before pouring some water from his flash into it and handed it to Ellen.

"Bobby, is this really necessary?" Ellen asked, holding up the shot.

"Just a belt of Holy Water, shouldn't hurt," Bobby grumbled. She lifted the shot glass to her mouth and swallows the water without breaking eye contact with Bobby.

"Whiskey now, if you don't mind," Ellen ordered. Kim smiled and Bobby gestured to the direction of the alcohol. Kim went and got Ellen a glass of whiskey.

"Ellen, what happened? How'd you get out?"

"I wasn't supposed to. I was supposed to be in there with everybody else," Ellen scoffed, "but we ran out of pretzels, of all things. It was just dumb luck." Ellen took a swig of whiskey. "Anyway, that's when Ash called. Panic in his voice," she sighed heavily. "He told me to look in the safe. Then the call cut out. By the time I got back, the flames were sky-high. And everybody was dead. I couldn't have been gone more than fifteen minutes."

"Sorry, Ellen," Sam sympathized.

"A lot of good people died in there. And I got to live," she scoffed tearfully and rolled her eyes. "Luckily me," she huffed sarcastically, blinking tears away.

"Ellen, you mentioned a safe," Bobby interrupted.

"A hidden safe we keep in the basement," Ellen said, looking over to Kim who nodded her head, knowing what she was talking about. Kim had never opened the safe before, but she had seen it. They were told not to touch it. Of course, she tried but it was too difficult to open.

"Demons get what was in it?" Bobby asked.

"No." She pulled out a map from her pocket, unfolding it and sat it down on the table. It had several black lines and X's on it.

"Wyoming. What does that mean?" Dean asked, pointing to the lines before looking up at the others. Bobby got up and started searching for his books and papers when he landed on a big book. He pulled it out from under sheets of paper and sat it on the table, reading from it.

Sam and Dean looked over his shoulder while Kim sighed and took a seat next to Ellen.

"If it's not one thing, it another," Ellen huffed, leaning over the table to look at the book. Kim nodded her head and waited while everyone looked at the book. She took back and leaned on the wall, folding her arms across her chest.

Eventually, the boys grew tired of looking over Bobby's shoulder and went off to look at different books, hoping to broaden their search. After a while, Bobby found something.

"I don't believe it. Each of these X's," he pointed to the marks on the map, "is an abandoned frontier church—all mid-19th century. And all of them built by Samuel Colt."

"Samuel Colt—the demon-killing, gun-making Samuel Colt?" Dean asked, astonished. Kim's head snapped up as the name was called.

"Yep. And there's more. He built private railway lines," Bobby pointed to the black lines, "connecting church to church. It just happens to lay out like this." He joined the points on the map until the shape of a star gun.

"Is that—" Kim gaped at the familiar symbol.

"It's a Devil's Trap. A 100-square mile Devil's Trap." Sam gawked, staring at the map.

"That's brilliant. Iron lines demons can't cross," Dean gasped.

"My God..." Kim swallowed a lump in her throat as she continued to stare.

"I've never heard of anything that massive," Ellen breathed out in shock. Kim looked at Dean and nodded. In her entire hunting experience, nothing this hectic had happened to her. She hadn't even heard of anything of this size, only when she met the Winchesters.

"No one has," Kim breathed.

"And after all these years none of the lines are broken? I mean, it still works?" Dean asked, sceptically.

"Definitely," Sam confirmed.

"Are you sure?" Kim asked.

"All those omens Bobby found. I mean the demons, they must be circling and they can't get in," Sam figured.

"Yeah, well... they're trying," Bobby grumbled.

"Why? What's inside?" Ellen asked.

"That's what I've been looking for. And, uh, there's nothing except an old cowboy cemetery right in the middle," Dean huffed, flick his finger around the map.

"Well, whatever it is, it's been there for a long time," Kim observed.

"Well, what's so important about a cemetery or... What's Colt trying to protect?" Sam asked rapidly.

"Well, unless..." Dean started.

"Unless what?" Bobby asked, hastily.

"What if Colt wasn't trying to keep the demons out? What if he was trying to keep something in?" Dean finished.

"Well that's a comforting thought," Ellen grumbled.

"Yeah, you think?" Dean huffed.

"Could they do it. Could they get inside?" Sam asked.

"Demons wouldn't have a chance, I mean it's kept them out for this long," Kim huffed.

"This thing's so powerful, you'd practically need an A-bomb to destroy it. No way a full-blood demon gets across." Sam stopped and thought for a second.

"No." Sam paused. "But I know who could."

•※•

It was an eerie midnight. The chilling air drifted through peacefully, causing goose bumps to form on Kim's skin as they hid in the shadows, watching for a distance as Jake walked through the cemetery. The soft moonlight shone on the crumbling tombstones, nameless souls etched into the brick.

A chill spun down Kim as her skin made contact with the cold, rough tombstones and she hid behind it, covering herself from Jake. She held her gun up, ready to shoot whenever she got the signal. She took a deep breath in, dismissing the creepy feeling she had as her senses heightened. Her eyes scanned the surroundings and it seemed that death surrounded the cemetery, the smell of rotten distraction lifted through the air like dust.

The surrounding was as lifeless as the body's buried there. Crisp shrubs that would dissolve at one touch spotted the area, the only sign of life for miles were the short trees that managed to grow in the dry soil. It was deadly silent, not even the wind dared to move as the sound of nothing filled Kim's ears.

Kim moved her body around the tomb as Jake walked past, hiding deeper in the shadows. She watched as he walked up to a small mausoleum in the centre of the grounds, a small symbol on the door.

"Howdy, Jake." Sam appeared with a gun held chest high, aiming it straight at Jake. Kim heard the signal and crept out from her hiding place with a gun cocked and aimed. Jake spun around and watched as they all marched out, guns held high.

"Wait... you were dead. I killed you," Jake said in disbelief.

"Yeah? Well, next time, finish the job," Sam sassed.

"I did! I cut clean through your spinal cord, man," Jake growled shakily as Sam sent a look to Dean. "You can't be alive. You can't be."

"Okay, just take it real easy there, son," Bobby breathed, gun aimed.

"And if I don't?" Jake asked.

"Oh, I dare you," Kim threatened, cocking her gun again.

"What, you a tough guy all of a sudden? What are you gonna do—kill me?" Jake seethed.

"It's a thought," Sam shrugged, Kim rolled her shoulder back in perpetration.

"You had your chance. You couldn't," Jake said, shaking his head.

"I won't make that mistake twice." Jake began to chuckle.

"What are you smiling at, you little bitch?" Dean seethed.

"Hey, Lady, do me a favor. Put that gun to your head," Jake told Ellen. Kim's head snapped towards her and watched as Ellen shakily held the gun to her head. Jake released a toothy grin. "See that Ava girl was right. Once you give in to it, there are all sorts of new Jedi mind tricks you can learn."

"Ellen!" Kim screamed, not moving her aimed position Jake. "Make her stop right now or so help me, I'll—"

"You'll what?" Jake cut her off.

"Let's just say you don't have the imagination to figure that out," she spat, holding the gun firmly.

"Let her go," Sam demanded.

"Shoot him," Ellen breathed shakily.

"You'll be mopping up skull before you get a shot off." Jake paused evilly. "Everybody put your guns down. Except you, sweetheart." Sam, Dean, and Bobby drop their gun hastily, Kim still had her firmly gripped and aimed. Dean sent her a look, but Kim only looked to Ellen who slowly nodded. Kim dropped her gun. "Okay. Thank you."

Jake quickly turned around and pulled the Colt out of his jacket pocket and shoved it into a hole in the centre of the symbol on the mausoleum. While he was inserting it into the crypt, Dean and Kim grabbed Ellen before she could shoot herself. Kim quickly ripped Ellen's arm down from her head as the gun went off, just missing her skull.

Without hesitation, Sam picked up his gun and shot Jake four times in the back. Jake jerked forward from the force, falling to the ground choking. Sam positioned himself in front of him, sending a sinister look as he held the gun mightily in his hand.

"Please... don't. Please." Jake gasped for air as his lungs filled with blood. Sam mercilessly shot Jake three more times without blinking. Rage poured out of his shaking muscles.

The four walked up to Sam who had some blood splattered on his face but watched the show behind him. The Colt was still inside the door as the symbol started spinning, the sound of gears moving coming from the inside.

Kim and Dean watched as Sam angrily wiped the blood off his face as the symbol on the door formed a perfect pentagram.

"Oh, no," Bobby breathed, watching the door click and unlock.

"Bobby, what is it?" Ellen asked quickly.

Dean quickly pulled the Colt out of the door and Kim watched hoping it would stop the noise. "It's Hell." Bobby gasped as the rattling inside became louder and louder. "Take cover! Now!" Bobby yelled and all of them ran.

Kim ran past a few tombstones before jumping over one for cover as the metal door started to shake violently. The noise was loud and violent, the waves of crashing metal ran through the air as everyone hid behind the closest tombstone.

The clashing got louder and the mausoleum doors burst open and a huge mass of black smoke and white lights escaped the fiery hole. A huge gust of wind hit everyone as they hid and Kim watched as black smoke flew over her head and around her body, desperate to be free. The ground shook and waves of hard air flew out. Kim could feel the iron rail line break as the demon flew out and the devil's trap was broken.

"What the hell just happened?!" Dean screamed over the noise.

"That's a devil's gate. A damn door to Hell!" Ellen screamed as Kim's, Dean's and Sam's eyes widened. A breath escaped Kim's lips in astonishment as a huge wave of misery weighed her down. Her heart clenched uncontrollably, and her breathing became rapid. "Come on! We gotta shut that gate!" Ellen screamed, getting up and running to the door, the wind gusting in her face. Quickly, Dean checked the Colt for bullets.

"If the demon gave this to Jake... then maybe..." Dean muttered to himself as he watched Ellen, Sam and Bobby try to push the mausoleum door shut, the fiery depths of hell radiation from inside. Spirits, souls, and demons continued to create gusts of winds as they flew out, some appearing beside Dean as they escaped.

The wind was rushing and mindlessly wicked, blowing anything in its past out of view. Threes bent and blew over on force as the weak tombstones crumbled at the sound of the thunder clashing. It was a horrendous environment, the dirt swirling at their feet and clouded the air.

Kim stood a small distance away from Dean as he turned around to meet the Yellow-Eyed demon. Instantly, Dean held the Colt up to shoot but the demon had quickly retrieved it from his grasp. He held it up with a smirk.

"Boys shouldn't play with daddy's guns," Azazel smirked, sending Dean flying back through the air. He watched with a metallic smirk on his lips as Dean landed hard, hitting his head on one of the tombstones where Kim was standing. Kim dropped to her knees as she watched the blood pour from Dean's forehead as he squirmed uncomfortably on the hard ground.

"Go help Sam!" Dean yelled over the hectic wind and loud thunder.

"Are you stupid? You'll die!" Kim growled as she applied pressure to Dean's forehead.

"I said go!" Dean boomed as he stumbled to his feet as did Kim. Kim groaned and ran to help Sam, Bobby and Ellen close the doors, the massive force of Hell pushing against them. Kim pressed her back to the metal door and pushed as hard as she could, praying that the door would give in and shut. The wind pushed her hair into her face, blocking her sight. It was almost impossible to hear anything the thunder and win was so loud. The force of the door embedded itself in Kim's skin as she pushed as hard as she could. Her throat grew sore and rubbery as she groaned in pain, her eyes squinting shut.

Sam looked over at Dean as he squirmed on the ground as Azazel smirked at him. Kim saw Sam's distressed expression and new instantly that she shouldn't have left Dean.

"Dean!" Sam yelled, leaving Kim, Bobby, and Ellen to push the gates of hell shut. Sam sprinted towards Dean as Azazel stood over him. Suddenly, Azazel's arm flew up, sending Sam against the nearest tree.

"I'll get to you in a minute, champ. But I'm proud of you—knew you had it in you." Azazel smirked as he talked to Sam over his shoulder. Kim watched from afar, a conflicting decision on her hands as the scene slowly played out in front of her. Azazel towered over Dean and Sam was helplessly pushed against the tree and she watched as he tried his best to pry himself off it.

She quickly spun her head to Ellen who was red with pain and Bobby was sweating. The weight of the door only grew when Sam left but she knew she had to help. Running, she let go of the door and sprinted towards Azazel, but his hand turned into a white fist and she was paralysed. "You too, princess. Just wait your turn."

Kim watched helplessly as Dean struggled to stand, the blood pouring from the cut on his forehead. Azazel moved his hand towards Dean and he was pushed back on the floor.

"Sit a spell." Azazel walked up to Dean as he sat, back against a tombstone. "So, Dean... I got to thank you. You see, demons can't resurrect people unless a deal is made. I know, red tape—it'll make you nuts. But thanks to you, Sammy's back in rotation," he laughed. "Now, I wasn't counting on that but I'm glad. I liked him better than Jake, anyhow." Deans lip quivered in anger. "Tell me—have you ever heard the expression, if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is?" Thunder clapped.

"You call that deal good?" Dean growled as Azazel leaned down to his level, so they were face to face.

"Well, it's a better shake than your dad ever got. And you never wondered why? I'm surprised at you." He started to crawl closer to Dean. "I mean... you saw what your brother just did to Jake, right? That was pretty cold, wasn't it?" Azazel chuckled as Dean swallowed hard. "How certain are you that what you brought back, is one hundred per cent pure Sam?" Kim shivered as he spoke. "You of all people should know, that's what's dead, should stay dead." His yellow eyes pierced into Dean soul.  
"Anyway...thanks a bunch. I knew I kept you alive for some reason. Until now, anyway." He stood up and started to back away, looking down at Dean as he squirmed, hopelessly paralysed. "I couldn't have done it without your pathetic, self-loathing, self-destructive desire to sacrifice yourself for your family."

Azazel held the Colt up; a confident grip surrounded the gun as he held it towards Deans head. Spirits, souls, and demons continued to create gusts of wind and terrible storms as they swiftly escaped the grasp of Hell. The desperation to leave created a huge gust as it crashed into their faces. Dean watched a spirit walk up to Azazel from behind and grabbed him forcefully, their arms wrapping around him dangerously.

John had grabbed the demon so forgetfully, Azazel was ripped form his vessel. The unoccupied vessel dropped to the ground, the Colt loosely wrapped in his hand but John was just a tortured spirit and he was a powerful demon. Azazel soon escaped John's grasp and flew back into his vessel, got up and stared down at Dean, who was still on the floor, the Colt firmly in his hand. John had held Azazel back for just enough time for Dean to rip the Colt from the cols vessel's hand.

Kim's pressure was released from her and she quickly looked over to Sam to see if he was also released. She stood after she unfroze and regained her balance. She stood up just in time to watch Dean hold the gun up, a blank expression settled over his face where the pain and misery seemed to roll off with pleasure.

Dean's lip quivered dangerously as he cocked the gun and without a second through, pulled the trigger. The bullet flew through the air, a mass of orange light surrounding it as it flew and landed in Azazel's chest. They watch as he quivered in orange light and his eyes became hollow. The sound of a crackling demon sounded through the cemetery as he fell to the ground, motionless and the yellow in his shattered eyes became dull. Yellow Eyes was no more.

Ellen and Bobby had managed to close the gates with the remaining strength they had and the symbol turned into its original form, locking the gates.

Panting and exhausted, everyone had turned around to see Azazel on the floor and John Winchester arising from the ground. John stood over Azazel before looking up at his son and smiling proudly. Dean stood in shock as his dead father walked over to him, the proudest he's ever been and grasped his shoulder firmly with pride. Sam stood before them, breathing heavily with sorrow eyes as he watched his dad turn and send him a warm smile.

Kim's heart filled with pain as she watched John shed a tear, honoured by his sons, completing the mission he had set out to complete. With a proud smile still on his face, he let go of Dean and walked backward. Kim watched as his head slowly turned to her and nodded once in thanks. Kim drew a smile and shakily nodded back, her heart clenching with pain and her lungs unable to breathe.

John looked back at Dean with a small smile. She watched with pain in her heart while tears fell down the brothers' cheeks as John illuminated the darkness and turned into smoke, leaving his children behind, a smile on their faces.

The boys sent a look to each other as Kim stood alone, smiling to herself. The three of them walked over to the limp body of Yellow Eyes and stood over him in proud shock. They watched the smoke leave the bullet hole in his body with pride.

"Well, check that off the to-do list," Dean said, looking up at Sam.

"You did it," Sam said in amazement, looking proudly at his big brother.

"I didn't do it alone," Dean said, also looking at Kim. Kim just nodded her head once with a proud smile.

"Do you think Dad really... do you think he really climbed outta hell?" Sam asked, hopefully.

"The door was open. If anyone's stubborn enough to do it... it would be him," Dean responded to Sam, putting the Colt away in his jacket pocket. Kim rubbed her eyes and walked over to Ellen and Bobby and huffed with gratitude. Ellen and Bobby both smiled and nodded. Kim swallowed hard and nodded her head once.

"Uh... I don't know how to say thank you," Kim huffed, rubbing her forehead awkwardly.

"A mere 'thank you' wouldn't go astray," Ellen teased. Kim smiled and nodded.

"I don't know if that's enough," Kim admitted, looking up at them.

"It's good enough for me," Bobby said.

"And me," Ellen chimed in. Kim smiled slightly and looked up at the two of them and nodded, looking away. She swallowed and quickly turned back to them, her lips pressed in a line.

"Well, thank you," Kim muttered. The two of them gave her a nod before she turned away and walked back to the boys. She stood beside Dean as he looked at his brother.

"I kinda don't know what to say," Sam breathed.

"I do." Dean nodded, turning around to face Yellow Eyes, dead on the ground. Dean crouched down mockingly with a scowl on his face. "That was for our mom, you son of a bitch."

•※•

The three of the walked back to the Impala through the early morning mist, the crunch of the dead leaves and grass crackled as they walked. The Impala's windows were fogged up and a settlement of morning dew caressed the car.

Kim watched as small clouds escaped her mouth when she breathed out, shoving her hands in her pockets for warmth. Her icy fingers began to defrost as she pressed the tightly in her fists. Dean and Kim were about to open the car door to get in when Sam leaned on the car and began to talk.

"You know, when Jake saw me... it was like he saw a ghost," he scoffed. Dean sent Kim a look and she walked around the other side of the car to meet Sam's gaze. "I mean, hell, you heard him, Dean. He said he killed me."

"I'm glad he was wrong," Dean nodded.

"I don't think he was, Dean. What happened... after I was stabbed?" Sam asked grimly, his husky morning voice seeping through as he looked to Dean for an answer.

"I already told you," Dean answered.

"Not everything," Sam responded, looking at Kim. Dean saw his glare and shook his head.

"Come on, don't drag Kim into this. We just killed the demon. Can we celebrate for a minute?" Dean asked loudly, hoping his brother would drop the subject. Sam gulped.

"Did I die?" Sam asked Kim, not looking at Dean. She stood in silence, the words wrapping around her as she tried to think of an answer that would please both Sam and Dean, but there wasn't one.

"Oh, come on," Dean growled, getting frustrated shaking his head.

"Kim, did Dean sell his soul for me?" Sam asked, his voice low and meek. Kim stayed still, not knowing what to do. Her face lied with her natural poker face but she had no answer for him.

"Kim had nothing to do with this!" Dean shouted. Sam turned from Kim to Dean.

"Did you sell your soul for me, like Dad did for you?" Sam asked Dean meekly.

"Oh, come on! No!" Dean huffed but it obviously wasn't true. Sam got off the car and stood straight over Dean, slightly looking down on him. Kim stood next to Dean, the overwhelming power of Sam height towered over her. She sighed, her face still blank.

"Tell me the truth. Dean, tell me the truth," Sam demanded, his voice strong and demanding.

"Sam..." Dean chuckled nervously, shaking his head and licking his lips. Sam looked away and nodding his head in recognition, the pain seeping through his voice.

"How long do you get?" Sam choked, his eyes watering. Dean looked up at Sam.

"One year." Sam nodded his head disappointingly. "I got one year." There was a silence as they took in the stabbing pain.

"You shouldn't have done that. How could you do that?" Sam choked up. Dean turned around to face Sam with watery eyes, his lip quivering. Dean locked eyes with his younger brother, dreading the words that came out of his mouth, piercing him like knives. Dean took a shaky breath in, trying his best to hold it together.

"Don't get mad at me," Dean's voice shook unsteadily. "Don't you do that. I had to. I had to look out for you. That's my job," Dean spoke forcefully. Sam looked at his brother and slightly shook his head.

"And what do you think my job is?" Sam breathed.

"What?" Dean questioned.

"You've saved my life over and over," Sam said huskily. "I mean, you sacrifice everything for me. Don't you think I'd do the Same for you? You're my big brother. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you." Dean's expression turned into a faint smile, proud of his brother. "And I don't care what it takes, I'm gonna get you out of this. Guess I gotta save your ass for a change," Sam finished, a fiery determination in his eyes. Dean sent a look to Kim who only bowed her head.

"Yeah," Dean muttered sadly. The brothers and Kim snapped out of their haze as Ellen and Bobby walked up.

"Well... Yellow-Eyed Demon might be dead. But a lot more got through that gate," Ellen explained.

"You know how much?" Kim asked, raising an eyebrow. Ellen looked at Kim and shook her head slightly.

"Not exactly. Approximately a hundred. Maybe two hundred. It's an army. He's unleashed an army," Sam replied, looking down in shame.

"Hope to hell you three are ready. 'Cause the war has just begun," Bobby huffed, looking at Kim who just nodded her head, looking up at Dean.

"Well, then..." Dean turned to Kim and smiled a devilish grin before opening the trunk of the Impala, grabbed the Colt and chucked it in, the smirk never leaving his lips. "We've got work to do." 

_Carry on my wayward son,_


	20. Chapter Eighteen

From that moment on, it seemed liked time went quicker. Dean had already placed his pain and sacrifice behind him by hiding behind a cloud of flirting and drinking, making the most of the time he had left. Sam, on the other hand, crushed with the responsibility of saving his brother, had his nose stuck in a large book almost every second of the day as Kim helped; but no matter the size of the book or the amount of information it held, Kim was confident that they would find nothing containing the guidance they needed. Dean didn't particularly encourage this behaviour and asked Kim not to also, but she helped Sam out every now and then, doing her own research and telling him what useless information she found, it helped keep her mind off the grief.

The pain of losing Ash didn't become easier in a week and she was sure that his loss would never became easier. The memory of him boiled inside of her every time she reached for his necklace or saw his phone number in her phone. She refused to delete his contacts, even though it led to a dead line. She knew the pain would never go away, she just hoped that over time it would become more tolerable.

Night had settled as Kim sat in the back seat of the Impala and Sam sat in the front, reading another one of his books. Kim decided to help, seeing that they were parked outside a crappy motel waiting for Dean to finish with his latest distraction.

The large book was placed in Kim's lap and she lazily flipped the pages, her eyes only grazing over the words before dawdling to the next page. She sighed, wondering how she managed to get herself into this situation. The last thing her remembered was going to visit Ellen and now she helped open the doors to Hell and stuck looking for a way to reverse a crossroad demon deal she was supposed to prevent.

Kim knew better than most that no one deserved to be trapped in a crossroads deal and she'd be the first to try and reverse those mistakes if she hadn't undergone this before and found nothing. Crossroad deals were impossible to escape unless a guardian angel was hovering over you in time of need. If there was even a glimpse of hope, Kim would have found it ages ago, but as she searched the book in a hopeless manner, she was secretly hoping she was wrong and there was something she missed all those years ago. In the back of her mind, she knew there wasn't.

Sam and Kim looked up from their books to see Dean at the motel window wearing a white tank top, signalling a thumbs-up to them as he closed the thin motel curtain. Kim scoffed in amusement and disgust as she watched the silhouette of Dean undress some girl. Kim rolled her eyes and looked back at her book when she heard Sam's phone ring.

Kim closed the book and leaned in between the two-front seats of the car so she could look at Sam. He pulled out the phone and held it to his ear. Kim gestured for him to put the phone on speaker, which he did.

"Hello?" Sam said.

"Hey, Sam," Bobby spoke through the phone.

"Hey, Bobby," both Sam and Kim said.

"Whatcha doing?" he asked them.

"Oh, same old, same old," Sam replied with a shrug.

"You buried in that book again? D'you drag Kim into it, too?" Bobby asked. "Sam, you want to break Dean free from the demon deal, you ain't gonna find the answer in no book."

"Then where, Bobby?" Sam sighed, exhausted.

"Kid, I wish I knew," Bobby huffed. "So, where's your brother?" Kim and Sam both looked out the window to see Dean dancing around with some girl.

"Polling the electorate," Sam huffed.

"What?" Bobby asked confused as Kim smirked in the background.

"Never mind," Sam answered quickly.

"Well, you guys better pack it up. I think I finally found something." With that, Bobby hung up the phone. There was a silence in the car as Kim smirked and waited for Sam to leave and get Dean. Slowly, Sam turned to Kim with a kind face and a small smile. She examined his expression and her mouth dropped open. Kim quickly shook her head; a horrified chuckle escaped her lips.

"Oh no," Kim huffed, shaking her head. "He's your brother, you go in there." Kim shook her head and backed away and into the back seat again.

"Exactly, he's my brother. I'd be scarred for life if I saw him like that." Sam said in disgust. Kim scoffed and crossed her arms.

"And I won't be?" she scoffed sarcastically.

"No, you won't," Sam agreed with a smirk. "Plus, I'm older than you." Kim rolled her eyes.

"You are not pulling the 'I'm older' card right now." Kim scoffed but Sam just smiled. "I'm not going in so if you're not prepared to suck it up and go, we'll be sitting here for a while."

•※•

Kim rolled her eyes as she scanned the mouldy wall of the creepy motel, following the moans as she walked down the narrow hall to Dean's room. Her lip curled in disgust as she stood at the foot of the door, confused to how Sam had won the argument and had stuck Kim with the mission of getting Dean.

She sighed deeply and knocked on the door, hoping a fully-clothed Dean would answer. She waited for a second but no one answered, so cautiously, Kim opened the door and wrapped her head around it.

"Dean, uh..." Kim eyes unwillingly moved to Dean and she gagged, shaking her head. "Oh, no, no, no," she choked out, backing out of the room rapidly, almost hitting her head as she hurried out. She slammed the door shut, her eyes wide with disgust as she leaned on the door. "Oh, my poor eyes," she sighed, rubbing them roughly, feeling compelled to wash them with soap.

•※•

The ride was bumpy as Dean sped off down the road, flying over bumps and small hills as he drove. Dean had a huge smile on his face and Sam seemed pleased that his brother was happy, while Kim sat in the back, trying to repress what she just saw.

"Dean, my knife's in the trunk. Can you pull over so I can get it?" Kim asked casually. Dean looked up from the road and into his rear-view mirror.

"Why?" he asked.

"Oh, you know, just so I can gouge my eyes out," she drawled at him through the mirror.

"It was a beautiful, natural act, Kim," Dean said smirking while Kim scoffed.

"It didn't look so beautiful to me," Kim told him, trying her best to hide her smile as Dean chuckled.

"What's Bobby got?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Not much. Crop failure and a cicada swarm outside of Lincoln, Nebraska. Could be demonic omens—" Sam said, repeating what Bobby had told them.

"Or it could just be a bad crop and a bug problem," Dean added.

"Yeah, but it's our only lead," Sam continued.

"Any freaky deaths?" Dean asked.

"Not that Bobby mentioned," Kim said.

"It's weird, man. I mean, the night the devil's gate opened, all these weirdo storm clouds were sighted over how many cities?"

"Seventeen."

"Seventeen. You think it would be 'Apocalypse Now,' but it's been five days and babkas," Dean said, looking over to Kim and Sam. "What are the demons waiting for?"

"Beats me," Sam answered. Dean looked to Kim for an answer, but she just shrugged.

"I have no idea," Kim huffed.

•※•

Dean pulled up in a farm surrounded by rolling hills and dying grass, the country side air filled with flying bugs and insects. The road was gravel and from inside the car, the only sound was the purr of the Impala along with the rocks hitting the metal. The small of Kim and Den's bacon burgers morphed into the fresh country air as they exited the car, Kim still with chewing her food. The annoying screech of cicadas sounded through the fields behind the farmhouse. The three of them looked up to meet Bobby's gaze as he leaned on his parked car, waiting for them.

"Music to my ears," Kim chimed sarcastically as she took a small bite out of her burger and sighed dramatically. "Biblical."

"That can't be a good sign," Dean said, walking to Bobby as she took a huge bite out of his burger.

"No, no it can't," Sam agreed as Kim lead the way to greet Bobby. They stood in front of Bobby and nodded, greeting him.

"So, we're eating bacon cheeseburgers for breakfast, are we?" Bobby said to Kim and Dean.

"Well, I sold my soul. Got a year to live. I ain't sweating the cholesterol," Dean said, chewing on another bite. Bobby turned to Kim who was mid-bite as she looked up at him. Coughing awkwardly, she continued to bite her unhealthy breakfast as grease dripped down her arm and swallow as everyone stared at her, waiting for an answer.

"Well, you see..." Kim started, chewing her food. "I really like bacon." Sam and Bobby shook their head as Dean grunted in amusement, his smirk revealing his chewed breakfast.

"So, Bobby, what do you think? We got a biblical plague here or what?" Sam asked getting to the point.

"Well, let's find out. Looks like the swarm's ground zero," Bobby answered. They all walked on the patio and to the front door. Dean pounded on the door.

"Candygram!" shouted Dean, waiting for someone to answer. Dean peeked through the door and saw that there was nothing there before taking out his lock-pick and opening the door. Dean entered first and the others behind him with their guns drawn and ready. They only managed to move a foot into the house when a horrific smell entered their nose, it was so foul it made Kim gag.

"That's awful," Sam muttered in disgust. Kim curled her lip in disgust and nodding her head. It smelt like a mixture of mould, blood and sewerage, potentate enough to make anyone's eyes water. It was a smell that was unfortunately not too uncommon for them and Kim had already registered it as rotting flesh.

"That so can't be a good sign," Dean said. They crept further into the house, Kim split from the brothers and Bobby finding herself in the fully stocked kitchen. She shivered, feeling an uneasy sensation cover her body as the smell got stronger. She looked through the cupboards, hoping to fool herself to believe the source of the smell was coming from food, but she knew that nothing that smelt that bad could be food. The smell was impossible to avoid. It was surrounding her and she struggled to take a full breath since it was so potent.

Her attention shifted when she heard Dean calling for her from a nearby room. Following his voice, Kim found herself in the living room of the family home, the small TV that sat on the bench was still on and the curtains hung dead on their pole, the stench strongest in this room. Three bodies sunk into the couch, the skin of the people sticking to the couches material as they decomposed. Their skin turned a shade of purple and blue as dried blood dripped from wounds and exposed arteries, their eyes all white and mouldy. Skin peeled from their bones as they sat in front of the coffee table filled with untouched food and drinks.

"Oh God," Kim recoiled. Dean shushed her as he looked out the window, hearing something. He signalled for Sam to go around him while Bobby and Kim went the other way.

Kim followed Bobby out the back door and Sam stayed inside the house and Dean sneaked through the front door. Kim was about to turn a corner when Bobby put his arm out to stop her but quickly reversed his actions when he heard Dean grunt and crash. Both of them ran around the corner and saw two people standing over Dean as he laid on the floor. There was a man and a woman, one held a shot gun.

"Isaac? Tamara?" Bobby asked, looking at the two.

"Bobby? What are you doing here?" the woman asked with a thick British assent.

"I could ask the same," Bobby said with a smile, greeting them. Kim nodded to them and they nodded back, looking to Bobby for an introduction which he didn't give.

"Name's Kim," she said with a blank face, earning a nudge from Bobby. Kim shook it off and gave them a small smile, not being in a very inviting mood.

"Hello? Bleeding here." Dean held his hand out and Kim roughly grabbed it and pulled him up as he smiled and nodded at the two strangers.

The next thing Kim knew, she was at Isaac and Tamara's house as they showed off their hunting gear Kim already knew about, just couldn't get her hands on. She shuffled around on the spot as Bobby looked over their research, Sam playing with some of their herbs and Dean was off on the phone trying to figure out what happened to that family.

Their house was nice, but this specific room was very dark. Barely any light came through the crack of the doorway and the dusty window. Benches were covered in gear and herbs that help get rid of supernatural creatures. Crates were filled with different types of materials and dried objects while others were filled with jars that were stuffed with different types of dusts and things. Isaac and Tamara were looking through the mess.

"Honey, where's the Palo Santo?" Isaac asked Tamara as she looked through other things.

"Well, where did you leave it?" she asked him.

"I don't know, dear. That's why I'm asking," he replied as Kim huffed silently to herself.

"Palo Santo?" Sam asked.

"It's a type of wood, holy wood," Kim muttered from the back. Tamara turned to her with a mile and nodded.

"Yeah, that right." she said to Kim before turning to Sam. "From Peru. It's toxic to demons like holy water. Keeps the bastards nailed down while you're exorcising them," she said to Sam and turned back to Kim, "How'd you know that?" she asked and Kim just shrugged.

"I do my research. Just never managed to get my hands on some," Kim explained. Tamara searched through a messy crate and pulled out a long, pointed stake and handed it to Isaac with a affectionate smile.

"Thank you, dear," Isaac said with a smile.

"You'd lose your head if it wasn't for me," she smiled back with love in her voice. Sam smiled at the couple.

"How long have you been married?" Sam asked with a cute smile.

"Eight years this past June," Tamara replied as Isaac killed her on her forehead. It was hard to notice, Kim wasn't even aware she was doing it, but her upper lip curled slightly at the sight.

"The family that slays together," Isaac added as Kim chuckled to herself. She'd admit that even though she didn't trust them, they were a disgustingly cute couple.

"Right, I'm with you there." Sam smiled, looking between the two. "So, how'd you two get started?" he asked. The cute, loving smiles of their faces immediately dropped and Sam instantly knew what he did wrong. Isaac and Tamara looked at each other before slowly looking down. "Oh, you know... I'm sorry. It's not—that's none of my business," Sam muttered as Kim shook her head.

"I told you no hunter has a good past," Kim muttered to Sam as she walked up to him, standing next to him to show some unspoken support. Tamara turned to Sam and sent a slight smile.

"It—it's all right," she said as Dean walked into the room still on the phone.

"Well, Jenny, if you look as pretty as you sound, I'd love to have an... 'appletini'." Dean shrugged disgustedly, looking at Bobby, Sam, and Kim. "Yeah, I'll call you," he finished, rolling his eyes and harshly closing his phone. "That was the coroner's tech."

"And?" Sam asked.

"Get this. That whole family, cause of death? Dehydration and starvation. There's no signs of restraint, no violence, no struggle. They just sat down and never got up," Dean said shrugging.

"Seriously, I was in their fully stocked kitchen less than an hour ago," Kim huffed, looking at Sam.

"Right, what is this? A demon attack?" Sam asked confused. Kim would have to admit, she had never seen anything like this before. It was a new territory for everyone and it seemed that it was the demons first move into war.

"If it is, it's not like anything I've ever seen," Bobby said.

"Me either," Kim continued.

"Well, what now? What should we do?" Dean asked Bobby with a deep voice. Kim and Sam looked to Bobby for an answer but before anyone could say anything else, Isaac spoke from the back of the room with Tamara.

"Uh, we're not doing anything." Kim turned to them with a curled lip.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, slightly defensive.

"You guys seem nice enough but this ain't Scooby Doo. We don't play well with others," Isaac continued, looking at Tamara. Kim scoffed and crossed her arms as Dean nodded his head sarcastically.

"Well, I think we'd cover a lot more ground if we worked together," Sam continued looking at them with his eyes squinting. Kim eyed the couple deeply, scanning their stances and current facial expressions. With every move they grew less and less trustworthy.

"No offense, but we're not teaming up with the damn fools who let the devil's gate get opened in the first place," Isaac spat. Kim bit her tongue from spitting back, the anger rapidly boiling through her skin. She could feel her heart racing with words she wished to say.

"No offense?" Dean scoffed.

"Isaac," Tamara scolded. "Like you've never made a mistake."

"Oh yeah, locked my keys in the car, turned your laundry pink. Never brought on the end of the world, though," Isaac sassed as Dean laughed sarcastically.

"Alright, that's enough," Dean ordered deeply.

"Guys, this isn't helping. Dean—" Sam said, warning his brother.

"Look, there's a couple hundred more demons out there now. We don't know where they are, when they'll strike. There ain't enough hunters in the world to handle something like this. You brought war down on us, on all of us," Isaac spat as Kim drew blood from biting her tongue so hard that she had to let go.

"Oh, that's right, I completely forgot," Kim smiled slightly, smacking her head dramatically. "I totally remember seeing you at that cemetery fighting Yellow Eyes with us. Remind me to thank you later." She fake smile at him as he scowled.

"Kim, don't," Sam interjected but she ignored him. Isaac scowled at Kim before eyeing Sam and Dean.

"You know," Kim continued, ignoring Sam's comment. "It was really nice meeting you but—" her lips traced a sarcastic smile, "you don't want to see me try and play well with others. I make sure it doesn't work out for them," Kim scowled at him dangerously.

"Says the child who helped open the gates of Hell."

"We may have helped opened the gates, but I promise you this." Kim stepped forward threateningly. "We had no help closing them and if it weren't for us, they would still be open right now."

Tamara rolled her eyes and grabbed her husband's wrist, dragging him out the room.

"Alright, that's enough." Sam looked over to Kim with disappointment and she just shrugged.

"What?"

•※•

The four of them left Isaac and Tamara's soon after that, heading to a motel close by as the night crept in. Kim got her own room and enjoyed the privacy while it lasted. She kept thinking about the lecture Sam gave her on the way to the motel, but she ignored most of it, only withholding the complements she got from Dean. Never the less, after the lecture Sam smiled at her and gently thanked her for sticking up for them. She nodded in recognition, the slightest smirk on her face as Sam scoffed playfully.

Kim – like most nights lately – hadn't got much sleep. She had stayed up long enough to watch the early morning sun gleam through the dusty and grimy motel window. Groaning, she sat up and rubbed her eyes as they adjusted to the light. She spent the morning doing nothing, lying on her laptop and scrolling through one end of the internet to the other. Sooner than Kim expected, it was later in the morning and she heard a knock on her door. She shut her laptop and walked to the door and opened it before bothering to check who it was.

Sam and Dean both stood outside her door, packed and ready to go. Sam shuffled his feet as Dean looked down on her.

"You didn't check before you answered," Dean stated, looking down on her and she lent on one leg.

"I know," she replied, not bothering to give him more than a short, non-explanatory answer. Dean rolled his eyes and straightened his back.

"Check next time," he ordered her as she packed her things and walked out the door, standing beside them.

"Yes dad," she joked pushing past them and walking in front towards the Impala. She slung her bag over her shoulder and continued to walk, leaning her weight on one side, cocking one hip out. After a moment of silence, Kim heard a deep 'Hmm' from behind her.

"I like the sound of that... 'Daddy'." Deans voice was abnormally low and seductive. Kim turned around and playfully huffed disgustedly, a hand placed on her hip. Dean sent her a playful wink and smirk before she turned around and scoffed.

"Keep dreaming," she said as she walked away, leaving the boys behind her to watch. Dean softly slapped Sam on his shoulder, not taking his eyes of Kim as she walked. With a smiled, he jogged up to Kim and looked down at her as she looked up.

"Bobby has a case, it's back in town," Dean nodded his head, looking back up and turning towards the Impala, getting in. Kim sat in the back, as usual, Dean drove and Sam sat in shotgun. When everyone got in, Dean turned around and started talking to Kim again. "Apparently one chick killed another for a pair of shoes," Dean huffed. "So let's go."

•※•

Kim stood outside the shop and watched as the police collected samples of the blood and pictures of the crime scene. She watched as Sam entered the store and started talking to Dean as he 'comforted the bereaved'. She decided to stay outside to see what she if she could talk to anyone who was in the shop when it happened.

She turned her head in search for a customer. After a quick scan of the crowd, her eyes landed on a very distort female in the back of the crowd. Her eyes seemed hollow and her posture was slumped as she stood alone. Maneuvering her way through the crowd Kim soon found herself standing by the lady's side.

"Hi, my names Rose. I was sent by the police to help figure out what happened," Kim said with a slight smile as she moved to stand in front of the girl. She looked up slightly and her eyes drifted over Kim.

"Why aren't you in uniform?" she asked politely as she straightened her posture. Kim smiled and looked up at the girl as she was slightly taller than her.

"Thought it would be less intimidating," Kim lied, pulling out an obviously fake badge and showing it to her quickly in hoped that her quick motion and the girls distort state would be blind her vision of the badge. "Can you tell me your name?"

"Amelia."

"Now, Amelia, I was wondering if you could tell me what you saw in the shop?" Kim asked paying Amelia all her attention.

"How did you know I saw what happened?" she asked and Kim sent her a ghostly smile.

"It's my job to know," Kim replied. Amelia nodded and proceed to explain.

"Okay, well, I was outside the shop looking in through the window when a man walked past me and into the shop. I watched as he started talking to a blond girl and then he walked off. The she started talking to a brunette girl next to her," she said looking down. "I stopped watching after that and went back to looking at the shop. When I walked off I heard a scream from behind me and the blond girl was bashing the brunette's head against the car's window."

Kim smiled at the girl and thanked her before walking off into the shop. She looked around but didn't see Sam, Dean or Bobby. The shop was practically empty. Looking around, Kim spotted and security camera and figured they would be looking at the tapes to see if they could find anything.

Kim found her way to the security room where she saw the boys huddled around a bundle of screens, looking for anything suspicious. Kim stood at the door frame and lent against it, crossing her arms as she watched the screen from afar.

"You find a man walking up to the attacker before the fight began?" Kim asked as the boys spun around in surprise. Sam nodded and looked back at his screen.

"Uh, yeah. How'd you know?" he asked.

"I did my own work," Kim smirked as Sam re-winded the tape. "That's him," he said pointing to a man that walked up to the blond as she looked though some clothes. He whispered something in her ear and slightly gestured to the brunette next to her as she looked at some shoes. The man walked away and Sam paused the video. "He just walked off."

"There were no blackouts, no loss of control. Totally lucid. Just, she really wanted those shoes. Spilled a glass of holy water on her was in was interrogating her just to be sure; nothing. It's not a demon possession." Bobby said.

"He might just be a guy," Sam suggested. They watch as the man walked away.

"Or he might be our guy."

•※•

Dean and Bobby waited in one of Bobby's cars outside a bar that apparently the man continuously went to while Sam and Kim were sent off to do research since according to Dean, "You nerds love research."

Kim just rolled her eyes and went to Sam to see what she could find. It's not that she didn't like research, she would just rather go and get the job done and get it done properly. Ever since she had built her reputation up, she had persisted on doing everything as professionally as she could. She knew that a job's not finished or done professionally without a good think over and some research. It had just become a routine in her hunting lifestyle.

After going to different places to figure out what they could find, Sam and Kim returned to the car seven past midnight. They both walked through the car park very quietly as the light from the car glistened the moistened road.

"You ready?" Sam asked Kim playfully as they sneaked up to the car.

"I was born ready."

The wind was still and a chill was sent through the night air. The moon was full and high in the sky, watching over the distort land as the youngest Winchester and last Harper stalked towards the parked car. The mist settled at their feet and an eerie chill spread throughout the area.

Kim's finger traced the side of the car she waked up to Bobby's side window and Sam went to Dean's. The darkness of the night surrounded them as they banged on the window loudly. The sound soared through the car and Sam and Kim watched with delight as Dean and Bobby jumped in fright. A smirk traced Kim's lips as she opened the back door a slid in with Sam. They smiled at their discomfort and high-fived each other when they got in.

"That's not funny," Dean growled at them as they chuckled to themselves.

"Yeah, sure." Kim rolled her eyes.

"Uh, all right, so—so, John Doe's name is Walter Rosen. He's from Oak Park, just west of Chicago. Went missing about a week ago," Sam explained.

"The exact night the devil's gate opened. We think he's possessed," Kim said blankly.

"It's a good bet. So what, he just walks up to someone, touches them and they go stark raving psycho?" Sam asked Bobby, hoping he had a direct answer.

"Those demons that got out at the gate—they're gonna do all kinds of things we haven't seen," Bobby replied.

"You mean the demons we let out?" Sam corrected and Kim sent him a look.

"I don't know about you, but I though Jake opened the gates?" Kim sassed angrily. She could understand why Sam could feel guilty about this, especially after what Isaac had inferred but he was dragging Kim down with him into the pit of guilt.

"Guys," Dean said looking back at the bar. The same man from the shop was walking into the bar. "Alright, show time," Dean said about to hop out the car with no weapon to kill them with. She would love to go and gank him and his friends but she had no Knife of Kurd to kill them with. Kim knew Dean was just ready to get this over with and get a little bloody but if he didn't start thinking things through it's going to be their own blood on the floor.

"Wait," Bobby and Kim said at the same time.

"What?" Dean asked slightly annoyed.

"What did I just say. We don't know what to expect out of this guy. We should tail him till we know for sure," Bobby argued.

"Oh, so he kills someone and we just sit here with our junk in our hands?" Dean growled sassy.

"We're no good dead! And we're not gonna make a move until we know what the score is." Bobby yelled.

"Hey, Bobby, I don't think that's an option," Sam said looking out the window. Kim followed his gaze and scoffed.

"Why's that?" Bobby asked.

"'Cause your friends are charging in head first," Kim huffed as she pointed to Isaac and Tamara walking into the bar, the door closing behind them.

"Damn it!" Bobby grouched as they waited to see what happened. It had been only a minute before they heard screaming. The four of them quickly hopped out of the car and charged towards the locked door. The threw themselves at the door, smashing their shouldering into it as the screams got louder.

The door was firmly locked and hard to the touch. Its wooden frame sent splinters into Kim's sore skin as she threw her body weight onto the door. It barely budged and everyone's body was aching.

"Get the car!" Kim screamed as they call ran back to the car and hoping in as Bobby drove it through the door. It smashed open and Sam, Dean, and Kim quickly got out of the car with flasks of holy water in their hands.

Kim flung the water at the demons as they charged at them, sending them into steaming fits. Kim's eyes quickly scanned over the pile of rubble left on the ground and saw Isaac's and Tamara's body under the broken wood.

The demons charged again as Kim was slammed onto the car behind her. One of the demons came up to her and grabbed her neck, closing her throat. She tried to suck in a breath, but the hold was too tight. She struggled against his hard grip and watched as Sam fought his own demon while Dean had managed to trap the man from the shop in the trunk of the car.

Kim shakily lifted her hand and saw that there were only a few drops left. She could feel the tightness in her chest and stiffness of her arm as the demon's grip got tighter. The demon pulled her off the ground and into the air so that her legs were dangling. He smirked at her. Her face grew red and a state of panic flew over her as she quickly lifted the flask to the demon lips, forcing the last drops into his mouth. He dropped her and she stumbled to her feet, quickly climbing into the car as she gathered her breath.

"You okay?" Dean asked worriedly. Kim took a deep breath and she released the tension in her chest and limbs. She crouched in the back seat as Sam pet her pack slowly. Bobby sped out of the bar and away from the demons.

"Yeah," she breathed. "I'm fine."


	21. Chapter Nineteen

The drive back to Issac and Tamara's house was silent as the image of their dead bodies on the floor painted everyone's mind. No one had much to say anyway with a screaming demon writhing in the trunk of the car. Bobby silent mourned the loss of his friends, the others looking out the window in hopes that the scenery around them would change the gruesome imagery in their mind as they prepared for a big fight ahead of them.

With plans to exorcise the demon in the trunk, the four of them managed to get him from the car and into Issac's and Tamara's house without critical damage. Tying him to a chair under a demon's trap was sure to keep him still for a while.

Kim followed the boys inside the house but separated from them instantly as she explored their equipment and discovered what would be useful for future hunts. The deceased no longer had used for valuable equipment and Kim was not about to let it go to waste.

She flicked through some of the herbs, grabbing the Palo Santo and a few other valuables before meeting back with the others. Bobby had his nose in some book while the boys paced around.

"What are we gonna do?" Kim asked, gently caressing the red hand print around her neck. She had repressed the attack, but the pain still lingered.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Dean asked cautiously as Kim looked up at him and took her hand away from her neck so he would stop worrying.

"Well I'm still breathing, aren't I?" she huffed softly, "But what are we gonna do about the demons. We can't just leave them there so they can kill others."

"Well then, lets go," Dean said putting his hand behind Kim's back and gently pushed her towards the door. Kim spun around and stepped out of Deans direction.

"Stop flyin' into things head first. I want them dead as much as the next hunter but we have no idea what we're doing. You wanna die?" Kim asked loudly.

"I'm dead already!" Dean yelled back.

"How you gonna kill 'em? Can't shoot 'em. You can't stab 'em. They're not just gonna wait in line to get exorcised!" Sam shouted at his brother, angry at his last comment.

"We don't even know how many there are." Bobby walked towards the three of them, booking in hand.

"Yeah, we do," Bobby muttered, looking up from the book. "Do you have any idea what we're up against?" Bobby growled slowly, looking between the three of them.

"No, who?" Dean asked.

"The seven deadly sins. Live and in the flesh," Bobby said loudly. Dean huffed and let a single tiny smile appear.

"What's in the box?" Dean sung rhythmically. The three of the looked at him confused as he chuckled awkwardly at his own reference no one cared about.

"Brad Pitt? 'Se7en'? No?" he asked normally as Bobby slammed the book shut and shoved it in Dean's grasp. Dean flinched slightly as the book landed his hands before looking to Kim for any recognition. When she gave him a blank look he raised his eyebrows dramatically before looking at the book.

"What's this?" he asked.

"'Binsfeld's classification of demons.' In 1589, Binsfeld ID'd the seven sins – not just as human vices but as actual devils," Bobby said to them as they listened.

"The family was touched buy Sloth and the shopper–"

"That's Envy's doing – the customer we got in the next room." Bobby gestured to the demon in the room over, "I couldn't suss it out at first, until Isaac. He was touched with an awful Gluttony." Bobby let out a huff and the three of them followed him into the next room where Envy was sitting, trapped in a demon trap.

The circled him as he chuckled, looking up at them as if they were nothing.

"So you figure out who I am, huh?" Envy chuckled at them.

"We have. We're not impressed," Bobby replied.

"Why are you here? What are you after?" Sam asked as he stood straight in front of Envy. He stayed silent.

"He asked you a question," Dean said walking past him and heavily placing the book on a spare table before turning back to him. Dean looked down on Envy threateningly. "What do you want?" Envy chuckled, and Dean opened a flask of holy water before spraying some on him. He groaned and looked away, steam coming off his skin.

"We already got what we want," he hissed, looking back up and into Kim's eyes.

"What's that?" Dean asked. Envy looked at the four of them with a slight smile.

"We're out. we're free. Thanks to you my kind is everywhere. I am legion, for we are many. So, me, I'm just celebrating. Having a little fun," Envy replied.

"Fun?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, fun." Kim scoffed and crossed her arms angrily. Envy's eyes landed on her as she looked down on him blankly. "See, some people crochet. Others golf. Me? I like to see people's insides... on their outside." His eyes traced her amusingly during a moment of silence as Kim shuffled on her feet. Dean noticed his glare and instantly became irritated.

"Don't look at her." Dean spat at him. Envy's head snapped towards Dean.

"Please," Envy laughed, "you think you're better than me?" he said back before looking over at Dean.

"Which one of you can cast the first stone, huh? What about you, Dean? You're practically a walking billboard of gluttony and lust." His eyes moved up and down his body before he moved to Kim.

"And Kim, all that wrath. So much burden and secrets wrapped around one brain; can't be healthy for a person." Kim licked her teeth as Dean and Sam both looked at her, but she eyes never left Envy. His eyes trailed down to the collar of Kim's shirt. "Nice pin," he said with an evil smirk.

"Kim?" Sam asked innocently.

"Don't," Kim warned aggressively.

"My point exactly. And you call us sins. We're not sins, man. We are natural human instinct. And you can repress and deny us all you want, but the truth is, you are just animals. Horny... greedy... hungry... violent animals. And you know what? You'll be slaughtered like animals, too." He looked to the side as Kim bite her tongue to stop herself from slaughtering him with numerous amounts of holy water. "The others - they're coming for me"

"Maybe. But they're not gonna find you..." Dean said with a cock smiled as he leaned down to his level. "'cause you'll be in Hell. Someone send this clown packing," Dean hissed as Bobby grabbed the book and exorcise him.

Envy's smirk wiped off his face as Bobby continued to chant the exorcism, leaving Envy in screaming fits and the three walked off into another room.

"Well it looks like we not gonna have to hunt them down like we thought," Kim sighed, leaning on a wall with one leg up and her arms crossed over her chest.

"What's that mean?" Sam asked.

"It means get ready, 'cause they're gonna be hunting us," she explained. Dean stood aside as he nodded his head.

"Sam, how about you and Bobby take Kim and head for the hills. I'll stay here, slow them down, buy you some time," Dean suggested with a casual tone. The mood in the room shifted dramatically as the weight of the fight loomed on them. They were going to have trouble winning with all four of them involved and that silently loomed over their head and Dean was willing to fight it himself.

"If you stay, I'm staying," Kim replied quickly.

"You're still young-"

"You're insane, Dean. Just forget about it, okay?" Sam said strongly, net even thinking about it for a second.

"I'm not that young," she stated, shaking out of her hypnotized state.

"You're nineteen," Dean scoffed rolling his eyes.

"So? I'm sure you hunted when you were nineteen," Kim scoffed.

"Hardly, and it was with my dad," Dean confirmed before shaking his end and changing the subject. "The point is there's six of them, guys. We're out-manned, we're out-gunned. We'll be dead by dawn."

"What makes you think that they won't find us if we run?" Kim asked honestly.

"Look, if we're going down, we're going down together, all right?" Sam said sternly as the room started to shake and a loud scream erupted from the next room. Bobby walked in and closed his book, joining the conversation. Bobby nodded after hearing what Sam said and Dean looked to Kim for assurance. Kim nodded and Dean sighed, hoping she wouldn't.

"No better way to die," Kim said looking at Dean with her regular smirk. Dean nodded his head as he knew they weren't going to give up.

"Then let's not make it easy for them."

The brothers ventured off in a different direction, leaning Kim in the room alone to prepare weapons while Bobby set up the rest of the house with traps and symbols.

Her face lay emotionless as she sat in the lonely room thinking about the events to come. Harshly, she shoved the bullets in her gun and cocked it, ready to go. Laying it by her side next to her Palo Santo stake, she grabbed the jug of holy water and began to fill some flasks. She watched as the water spilled over the edges and landed on the floor as she though about what she did to deserve being here, facing her death for an ungrateful world. Honestly, she could think of multiple reasons why she deserved to be there. So many question and thoughts ran through her head as she mentally prepared herself for the worst because she knew she deserved nothing less.

Her mind drifted as she mindlessly filled all the flasks when Sam came marching into her room, flask in hand.

"Lets go," he said before jogging off. Kim grabbed her stake and gun after putting her flask in her jacket pocket and ran after him.

Kim was in a back room while Bobby was in the front of the house, watching from the window.

"Bobby!" Tamara called from outside. "Bobby, help us!"

"Please!" Issac called, blood dripping from his mouth. Kim didn't move from her position, she stayed and listened, knowing Bobby was smart enough to know that they weren't Issac and Tamara.

"Bobby please, let us in! We need your help!" Tamara yelled as she climbed up the patio and started stumbling towards the window, pretending to clutch her wounds. "Help," she whispered to him but he just moved out of the way.

Tamara mood turned instantly and she violently reached her arm through the windows and broke the wooden pales that held it shut. Quickly, she climbed through the window and opened the door for the rest of the demons, breaking the line of salt at the door. The demons flooded the house as Tamara went back to finish off Bobby, accidentally getting trapped in a demon trap.

Kim listened as she heard footstep getting closer as she clutched her flask from inside her jacket. She stood very still, hiding behind the door as she listened intently for the footsteps. Her muscles tensed with anticipation and alertness as they got louder and closer. She knew they had found her.

She prepared for them as they burst through the door and lunged for her, throwing holy water on the two demons that entered. They cowered away as they burned and suffered. Kim prepared her stake as they screamed in pain. She held it high with no mercy, watching as their skin steamed and burned. With a swift motion, she stabbed one in the chest and pinned them to the back wall as the other continued to burn.

Kim pressed the stake harder into the demon and enjoyed as it screamed out in pain. She placed a heavy hand on their shoulder to steady herself as she pushed harder. She felt the rage-filled pain running up her arms, a white heat following. Kim released her grip of the stake and grabbed the other shoulder with her other hand. She felt a release of pain as she touched the demons skin shoot through her arm. The demon stared to scream, the heated pain releasing from the cracks in the scream. This scream was filled with pain and torture. It was tremendously loud and satisfying to hear as more pain traveled down her arm and out of her body. The demon seized as their skin began to burn and steam, peeing and burning off of the flesh. She watched as their eyes started melt, pooling at their feet.

Their face was red with immense pain and soon his head lay slump on his shoulders and an orange light sparked in his hollow eyes. Kim stood back in shock but before she could register what happened, the other demon tackled her to the ground.

He scratched, punched, kick and bit as he held Kim under him. She struggled against his inhuman strength to get free. She groaned as he punched her in the face, knocking her head against the floor. Kim felt the blood run from her nose and past her lips as another punch struck her in the face. The demon was ruthless and merciless as he sent Kim flying back into a wall with a simple flick.

She was truck to the wall as she stumbled to her feet, holding her throbbing head. Her blood -soaked hair tangled in her fingers as she applied pressure on her wound and watched the rage in the demon's eyes as he charged at her. He ran with power and force but Kim didn't flinch, she stayed put.

As the demon charged, smothered entered the room to join the fun but the demons were blocked by an invisible force as they tried to get to her. Kim looked up with a wicked smirk to see the demon trap above their heads. An evil smile grew one of the demon's lips while the other demon stayed in a slight sate of panic. Kim smiled to herself as she watched the two demons struggle in her trap.

"Well," Kim smiled, "since we have everyone here, let's get the party started."

"Pride's a sin," the demon stuck in the demon trap spat. Kim turned to him as she pulled out the exorcism book.

"I've been told I possess a sinful trait, but it's not pride," Kim snickered. "I think you know which one."

"I believe I do," he replied distastefully, an evil light in his eyes. "Wrath is a powerful thing to hold captive, Kim." Wrath replied. Kim squinted her eyes at him threateningly as she stated the exorcism. "They'll find out eventually. All that built up pain and anger will erupt but you're a smart girl, you already figured that out."

Kim licked her teeth angrily as she continued the exorcisms. The room shook and the screams admitted into the air, the weight of Wrath's words leaving with him.

•※•

Kim watched as the brothers salt and burned the bodies of the deceased vessels a she stood at the edge of the grave. Sam sprinkled the salt and Dean dumped the gasoline on the body's, staring at the dead bodies of Issac and Tamara. Kim turned her head towards the house and saw Bobby walking up to them looking exhausted, rubbing his eyes to keep the open.

"Well, you look like hell warmed over," Dean said as Bobby stood next to Kim.

"You try exorcising all night and see how to feel," Bobby huffed. Sam shuffled on his feet as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Bobby, that knife -what kind of blade can kill and demon?" Sam asked Bobby. Kim head shot up, straining her neck. Her mouth hung open slightly and her eyes wide. They had never mentioned such blade to her through the whole night.

"Where did you see this knife?" Kim asked quickly but Sam ignored her, waiting for Bobby's answer. Kim took a few steps towards Sam, gaining his along with Dean's and Bobby's attention. "Who had the knife, Sam?" Her voice was low and commanding. She wasn't asking Sam a question, she was ordering him to tell her. Sam looked down uncomfortably at Kim before answering.

"I don't know, some girl. She helped me fight the demons last night," he replied.

"She was here? What did she look like?" Kim asked quickly. Sam and Dean looked down on her suspiciously. Dean took a step towards Kim.

"What do you wanna know?" Dean asked. Kim looked at him and squinted her eyes.

"That's personal," she replied.

"Not if we have information you need." Kim eyed him dangerously before crossing her arms.

"Don't worry, I'll figure it out myself," she huffed and stepped back, listed very closely to their conversation to see if she could get any clues.

"I'm just gonna ask it again," Dean said to Sam. "Who was that masked chick? Actually, the more troubling question would be, how come a girl can fight better than you?" Dean asked. Kim ignored his comment because she knew he only wanted a reaction out of it.

"Two demons, Dean. At once." Sam explained.

"I took down three," Kim said as she thought about last night events. The satisfaction of releasing pain. The sound of his screams. The feeling of rage and pain leaving her body. Dean nodded towards her in recognition and pride.

"Whatever it takes to get you through the night, pal," Dean said as he turned back to Sam, playfully slapping him on his arm. Sam looked down on his brother before rolling his eyes and ignoring his comment.

"If you want a troubling question, I got one for you," Sam breathed as he shuffled around on his feet again.

"What's that?" Dean asked.

"If we let out the seven deadly sins, what else did we let out?" Sam asked. The four of them looked down at the grave as they thought about the answer. Dean lit a match and looked down on the bodies.

"You're right. That is troubling." He through the match in the hole and they watched as the bodies burned, feeling the heat of the fire and the stench of burning flesh rise in the air.

•※•

The four of them stood outside the house, near their cars as they talked. Everyone looked exhausted and sore. Kim's bones were aching for rest and every now and again she would feel a slither of pain in her body. She didn't think it was the best idea to tell the brothers what happened last night with the demon. Sam had just stared trusting her again and Dean would never look at her the same. God forbid she let Ellen know, she would get interrogated. It just didn't seem worth the hassle of telling them.

"Keep your eyes peeled for omens, I'll do the same," Bobby told the three of them and they nodded.

"You got it." With that, Bobby nodded and turned around and walked to his car, exhausted.

"Hey Bobby," Sam called his. Bobby stopped and turned around, "We can win this war, right?" Sam asked hopefully. Kim turned to Bobby as did Dean, secretly knowing the answer. Bobby stayed quiet as they looked at him and they knew his answer.

"See you on the next one," Bobby replied before getting in his car and driving away, waving to them as he drove past.

"So, where to?" Dean asked Sam as Kim followed along. Dean rubbed his hand as they walked to the Impala.

"I don't know, I'm thinking Louisiana maybe," Sam suggested as they neared the car.

"Little early for Mardi Gras, isn't it?" Dean asked.

"There's this hoodoo priestess outside of Shreveport that might be able to help us out. You know, with your - with your demon deal," Dean shrugged and looked away.

"Nah," he replied casually as she stopped and faced his brother. Kim stood beside Dean.

"'Nah'? What does that mean, 'nah'?" Sam asked slightly irritated.

"Sam, no hoodoo spell's gonna break this deal. It's a goose chase," Dean responded.

"We don't know that, okay?" Sam replied.

"Yes, we do," Dean replied aggressively, looking down on Kim, "Forget it. She can't help-"

"But what if-"

"We're not going, and that's that." Dean stopped his brother from talking. "What about Reno, huh?" Dean said changing the subjects and took a step towards the Impala. Sam quickly grabbed Dean forearm and pulled him back.

"You know what? I've had it," Sam said irritated, nodding his head. "I've been bending over backwards trynna be nice to you and I don't care anymore." Dean nodded and scoffed.

"That didn't last long," he joked.

"Yeah, well, you know what? I've been busting my ass trying to keep you alive, Dean, and you act like you couldn't care less. What, you got some kind of death wish or something?"

"It's not like that," he looked to Kim again.

"Then what's it like, Dean?" Sam asked snappily.

"Sam–"

"Please, tell me," Sam asked. Dean hesitated and sighed at his brother, looking to Kim who just shrugged unhelpfully.

"We trap the crossroads demon, trick it, try to welch our way out of the deal in any way? You die. Okay? You die. Those are the terms. There's no way out of it," Dean sighed. "If you try to find a way, so help me God, I'm gonna stop you," Dean warned darkly. Kim looked down, ashamed that she knew that.

Sam looked to Kim and sighed.

"How could you make that deal, Dean," Sam replied, hurt.

"'Cause I couldn't live with you dead. I couldn't do it," Dean replied casually.

"So what, I live and you die?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, that's the general idea," Dean replied, nodding.

"Yeah, well, you're a hypocrite, Dean. How did you feel when dad sold his soul for you?" Kim's head shot up. "'Cause I was there. I remember. You were twisted and broken. And now you go and do the same thing. To me, what you did was selfish," Sam spat angrily.

"Yeah, you're right. It was selfish, but I'm okay with that," Dean replied casually.

"I'm not."

"Tough, after everything I've done for this family, I think I'm entitled," Dean growled angrily before taking a deep breath. "Truth is, I'm tired, Sam. I don't know, it's like there's a light at the end of the tunnel."

"It's Hell fire," Sam assured.

"Whatever. You're alive, I feel good - for the first time in a long time." Dean took a breath. "I got a year to live, Sam. I'd like to make the most of it. So, what do you say we kill some evil sons of bitches and we raise a little hell, huh?" he finished with a smile.

"You're unbelievable."

"Very true." The three of them got into the Impala and drove away, their little argument still reminisced in the air. Kim slumped in the back of the car as the silent, long drive began. She thought about what was just said and it had dawned on her that it was all true. Dean was going to die in a year and Sam was already giving up. Everything just continuously seemed to be going downhill and Kim alone wasn't strong enough to stop it. After all, it was always going to be Hell fire at the end of the tunnel.

•※•

Soon, the three of them found themselves in a small town in Cicero, Indiana and got themselves a motel room to share. It was late at night and Kim just wanted to rest, the events of yesterday finally taking a toll on her body. She was sore and tired; the strikes of inconsistent pain had never left since she exorcised that demon with her own hands.

Kim plonked herself on one of the three beds in the motel room and rolled over to her side, chucking her bag lazily on the floor with a thud. Kim stuffed her head in her pillows as she tried to ignore the pain, determined to make as little noise as possible.

She heard a concerned groan behind her but didn't bother turning around to acknowledge it. She felt her bed dip as someone sat on it and Kim slightly turned her head to see Dean sitting at the end of her bed, looking down on her with concern. Quickly, she rolled over to her back and sat up, biting her tongue to stop a groan of pain.

"You okay?" Dean asked seeing the distress on her face.

"Are you?" she asked.

"I asked first," Dean smiled and Kim huffed.

"Never been better," she replied as Dean nodded, unconvinced.

"Same." There was a silence but Dean didn't get up, he just stayed by Kim's side for a while. Kim closed her eyes in attempt for some rest but fell asleep quicker than she thought she would.

•※•

Kim woke up before everyone else, considering she was the first to fall asleep. Rolling over in her covers she saw the room was dark and Sam had fallen asleep over his laptop while Dean had managed to get to his bed. She didn't what to wake Sam up to move him to his bed in fear he won't fall back asleep again, like most hunters wouldn't. So she left him there, limp over his laptop.

She took a step outside and saw there was a grocer down the road, so she decided to go for an early morning jog, considering ever since she joined the Winchesters she hadn't been working out as much as she would like.

After getting everything she needed from the shop she made her way back to the motel room where the brothers were still sleeping. Silently, she placed down the bags and took out what she bought. Eggs, bacon, bread with tomato and baby spinach.

Kim searched through the old motel cupboards to find as many usable pots and pans as possible. Most of them were unclean and stingy so she scavenged as many as she could.

She cooked the bacon first and watched as it sizzled in the pan, the oil spitting at her and she flipped them. Then she grilled the bread and tomatoes and scrambled the eggs. While she was frying everything off she heard a small groan from behind her. She turned as she stirred to eggs to see Dean sitting up in his bed and Sam getting off his laptop.

"Morning," she said as she turned back around to give her attention back to the food. Dean got up and waked behind Kim as she cooked and looked over her shoulder.

"Smells good," Dean said in his deep morning voice. Kim could feel his breath on the back of her neck as she continued to stir and his arm slightly grazed her back when he turned around to sit at the table.

"Good," she said as she began to plate their breakfast's. "Okay, tomato and spinach with only a bit of bacon for Sam," she placed down Sam's plate in front of him and he started eating.

"Thanks Kim."

"And no spinach with extra bacon for Dean." She placed down his plate in front of him and he also began eating.

"It's like you read my mind," he said with a mouth full of food. Kim sat down and began eating her own.

"Where are we again?" Dean asked. Kim just shrugged, not really paying attention.

"Cicero, Indiana, why?" Sam replied. Dean just shrugged and took another bite.

"I don't know, sound familiar." Dean just shrugged and continued to eat, thinking about what was so familiar about it. Eventually he just shrugged it off and continued eating and Sam offered to do the dishes. Kim just sat on her bed for a while, scrolling through her laptop to see if she could find anything case worthy.

Her fingers were raw by the time she finished scrolling and only managed to find one small mishaps that defiantly wasn't a case.

Sam was outside making some calls to Bobby to see if he had found anything to help Dean out of the deal. Dean was off doing God knows what, so Kim decided to go outside with Sam.

"What do you mean you don't think it will work, Bobby? It's a demon-dispelling ritual." Sam paused, his back facing Kim as she stood silently behind him, listening to his conversation. "Well, maybe we got the translation wrong. Look, we can't just let Dean fry in hell while we... there's got to be something," Sam turned around and saw Kim standing there, her hands crossed over her chest. "Yeah. No. I gotta go. Okay. Never mind." Sam rudely hung up the phone and shoved it in his pocket as he looked down on Kim.

"Thought you said you didn't care anymore," Kim sighed, knowing he never meant it. Sam sighed defeated.

"He's my brother, Kim. I'm never gonna not care." Kim smiled softly at the words but Sam groaned in annoyance. "He's just so stubborn. He's pushing me to the limit,"

"That's what older sibling are for," Kim replied as Sam sighed and wiped his face.

"Yeah, well... what are us younger siblings for, huh?" Sam replied, "Do we just take all of it?"

"We learn our limit," Kim's lips fell into a line, "I guess that's all we can do." There was a small silence where Sam shuffled on his feet awkwardly before turning to Kim sharply.

"D'you even try and stop him?" he asked hastily.

"Of course I did!" Kim shot back, slightly offended, "I don't want him to go to Hell any more than you do!" Sam sighed and rubbed his forehead as Kim huffed offendedly.

"You're right, I'm sorry." Kim sighed and nodded, understating exactly how he felt.

"Yeah, I get it." Sam and Kim went back into the apartment together and found Dean sitting on the couch. Dean turned around at the noise of the door opening with a cheeky grin on his face.

"I remembered why this place sound familiar," the two of them waited for him to continue, "Lisa Braeden."

"Should I even ask?" Kim replied as Sam shrugged, also having no idea what he was talking about.

"Remember that road trip I took, uh... gosh, about eight years ago now? You were in Orlando with dad wrapping up that banshee thing," Dean said specifically to Sam.

"Yeah. The five states, five-day -"

"Well, kind of. Although I spent most of my time in Lisa Braeden's loft," Dean cut of Sam, a grin evident on his face.

"So, let me get this straight. You remembered a whole town just because you hooked up with some random chick?" Kim huffed a laugh, almost amazed.

"She was a yoga teacher. It was the bendiest weekend of my life. Come on, have a heart, huh? It's my dying wish," Dean finished with a smirk.

"How many dying wishes are you gonna get?" Sam asked with a sigh.

"As many as I can squeeze out," Dean laughed, leaving Sam shaking his head with disappointment. Kim just stood there, her arms sloppily crossed over her chest as she leaned back on a wall as she thought about what Dean had just said. His grin when he remembered why that place was familiar, his smirk when he talked about her, the way he spoke about her as if she was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Kim couldn't help but feel a slight sting of pain rush through her one would describe as jealously, but it was dismissed as quickly as it had arrived. She was normally never a jealous person, which she wasn't but the way Dean talked about Lisa was as if she was his best decision. She just hoped she was a better one.


	22. Chapter Twenty

It didn't take long for Dean to go find Lisa, leaving Sam and Kim back at the motel. Sam continued to do research in hopes to find anything to help Dean as Kim continued to muse him by doing the same, but it has been weeks and they still hadn't found anything. Kim was beginning to believe that hope was lost.

The two of them were sitting at the table, book in hands as their laptop laid by for backup. The day was full of doing nothing but research and minimal talking, Sam was in his zone. Kim sighed and followed along, leaning forward and hunched over the book lazily until Sam shut the book frustrated and rubbed her eyes.

"You hungry?" Sam asked Kim. She shrugged as a reply, also closing her book and sitting back in her chair. Her messy hair that was tied in a ponytail flopped over the side of her shoulder and tickled her check, causing her to swat the annoying piece of hair with a low growl.

"Well I am. Let's go." The two of them started walking to the diner down the road. Sam shoved his hands in his pocket as he walked, and Kim tried to keep up with his long strides. Sam didn't usually walk that fast and Kim didn't usually have to speed up to walk his pace, but today was different.

The air was hasty when the two of them were alone with each other now. Sam hadn't forgotten the fact that Kim wasn't taken to the abandoned town that night like the rest of the special children, and although he was relieved, it released a lot of other questions that littered his mind about her. It lingered in the back of his mind as he worried about Dean; he had too many things to worry about at once.

Kim jogged a little to keep up with Sam since she started to fall back a bit, but he didn't seem to notice. He was busy staring off into the distance wondering about something. Suddenly, Sam stopped in the middle of the pathway and turned to Kim who had just reached him as he turned to her.

"You think we'll find a way to save Dean?" Sam asked suddenly, as if he needed reassurance. Kim stopped when she reached him and sighed, partly to catch her breath and partly to buy her time to think of a reassuring lie.

"I think Dean's gonna end up fine." Kim lied through her teeth, but at the moment it was enough to convince Sam that Dean was going to be okay. The two of them entered the diner but Kim quickly excused herself to the bathroom as Sam took a seat at one of the tables.

Kim walked through the maze of tables and found the bathroom in a hidden corner of the diner where she opened the door and was instantly informs of a mirror. Kim hadn't noticed how tired she looked until she looked closer. Her eyes were droopy, and her posture was slouched, nothing a hard workout and a good night sleep couldn't fix and that's exactly what Kim planned to do after she ate.

Kim rubbed her eyes tiredly and went to go find Sam in the diner. She stayed in the corner as she searched the place for Sam. Her eyes scanned over different head before she landed on Sam's mopped hair and was surprised to find that he was accompanied by a blonde girl.  
Kim furrowed her eyebrows suspiciously, knowing Sam wasn't the type to seek out a girl in the time it took Kim to look in the mirror. Slowly, she walked over to the table and saw the girl looking at Sam before slowly turning to Kim, an smirk on her face. Sam coughed awkwardly as Kim pulled up a chair from a different table and sat down, not taking her eye off the new girl as she casually ate some fries off Sam's plate.

"These are amazing, it's deep fried crack. Try some." The girl smiled to Kim and Sam as if they had known her for a while. Kim instantly became uncomfortable and didn't answer as the girl took another fry and shoved it in her mouth. Sam also ignored her and eyed her threateningly, which didn't seem to faze her.

"That knife you had. You can kill demons with it?" Sam asked apprehensively. Kim's attention was caught instantly by the comment. A pounding started in Kim's chest as she squinted her eyes threateningly at the girl, chewing the inside of her cheek.

"Wait, _you_ had the knife?" Kim asked darkly. The girl looked at Kim weirdly before putting on a fake smile Kim refused to wear.

"Who are you?" she asked a bit too sassy and too quickly for her liking. Kim seethed slightly in her chair as Kim tried to make herself comfortable, leaning on the tables she stared ta the girl.

"Call me Harper." The girls smile dropped; Kim noticed immediately. Sam looked between both the girls and instantly became confused but he didn't care about that, he wanted to know more about the knife.

"Like the knife you were telling us about. The Knife of Kurds," Sam questioned quickly, looking between Kim and the mysterious girl. Kim stared at her as she stared back, an immense level of tension between them. Kim sat back on the chair, waiting for the girl to explain. Kim was very interested in what she had to say.

"Exactly," Kim breathed, not breaking eye contact.

"Where did you get it?" Sam asked and Kim waited for her answer, interested in what lie she was going to spit.

"Skymall," she replied slowly, her eyes moved from Kim to Sam. Kim scoffed to herself but it was subtle enough to prevent them for noticing.

"Why are you following me?" Sam asked, needing an answer.

"Because you're tall and I love tall men," she said with a smirk as Sam became uncomfortable. "And then there's the whole Antichrist thing."

"Excuse me?" he blurted.

"Generation of psychic kids, yellow-eyed demon rounds you up, celebrity death match ensues. You're the sole survivor," she replied.

"How'd you know that?" Sam asked seriously.

"I'm a good hunter. So, yellow eyes had some pretty big plans for you, Sam."

"'Had' being the key word." Kim's lips fell into a line as she spoke.

"Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's right. Ding-dong, the demon's dead. Good job with that. It doesn't change the fact that you're special."

"No. That's stuff's not happening anymore. Not since Yellow-Eyes died," he replied firmly, feeling uncomfortable and threatened by her presence. Kim sighed and took a fry and shoved it in her mouth before getting up and groaning to herself.

"I'll be in the motel room when you finish... this," Kim said as the girl waved her way, welcoming her absence. Kim rolled her eyes as she walked away, feeling the heavy weight of her body holding her down. She had done nothing all day and her lethargic weight was holding her down. She decided to go for a workout to get back into her old tradition.

She made it back to the motel room and changed into her sport shorts, bra and baggy singlet. The outfit wasn't the most comfortable thing to put on, but it was the only sport outfit she had that was comfortable enough for a hardcore workout.

She started off with a light jog, running down the road and admiring the antique vibe of the town. The cool air filled her lungs as she ran and she tried to concentrate on her breathing. She felt her lungs tense and her calves tighten as she jogged, telling her it was time to run. Kim fastened her pace as started running, the tingling pain of running and breathlessness stung her lungs telling her she was doing it right. The stinging sensation pushed her to continue even though her muscles were aching for a break. She continued to consecrate on her breathing and the setting around her, she realized she didn't know how long he had been running since she hadn't seen her surrounding before. Slowing down to a jog, she put her arms on her knees as she breathed deeply, filling her air deprived lungs.

She only took a small break where she regretted not bringing a water bottle before she convinced herself to sprint a certain distance then jog the rest of the way back to the motel. By the time she was done, Kim was covered in a layer of sweat. She hadn't seen Sam or Dean in the motel room and presumed they were where she left them, so she decided to take a shower.

The hot water was slightly scolding her skin as she got in, just the way she liked it. She washed her hair and body and she finally felt like she was taking care of herself for the first time in a while. The water relaxed her aching muscles and she stepped out of the shower, her skin steaming from the heat. A slight smile on her lips, she dried off and got changed but she still hadn't seen Sam or Dean anywhere.

She sighed and called Sam, wondering where he was assuming Dean was still with his... chick.

"Sam, where are you?" Kim asked, wondering if he was still with that girl.

"Dean found a case. When I went to the motel you weren't there so I went without you. Something definitely up with the kids in this town," Sam explained.

"The kids? I'll get on it straight away."

"Great, I will be there shortly." With that Sam hung up and Kim went straight to her laptop for research. It had only been twenty minutes when Sam arrived back at the motel room without Dean. Kim was still nose deep into her laptop as she searched for information. She didn't bother to look up from her laptop to greet him when she was halfway down an article bout demon's possessing children. Sam sighed and got changed, pulling out his laptop to help with the research.

"You find anything?" Sam asked.

"Not anything helpful unless you want a useless folktale about demons possessing kids." Kim shook her head when Sam looked interested. "It's total bullshit, definitely not uploaded by a hunter or anyone with any hunting knowledge. Says here that salt does nothing, it only for the hunting look and aesthetic," Kim rolled her eyes as Sam backed off, "I can't wait to see these people actually hunt."

It was almost night and the two of them hadn't gotten off their computers. It was an understatement to say that Kim was over doing research. Her fingers were raw from scrolling and her eyes were sore from staring at a screen for so long. Her slump posture was taking a toll on her back and her mind was too numb to continue caring about the case without another run to clear her thoughts. She was about to shut her laptop and grab a coffee when something caught her eye. On one of the last pages of the website she saw a small article on a something different form the last.

Kim started reading and instantly forgot about her sore back and raw fingers, getting to invested into the paragraph.

"Sam," she called, "I think I found something." Kim quickly turned her laptop to face him and he started reading. Sam sighed and shook his head.

"No, that's the same thing you were talking about before. Besides, I don't think it's a demons related-"

"No," Kim huffed, "the article underneath that." Sam muttered an 'oh' before he began to read again. Kim waited to see if it was anything like the kids he saw later in the day.

"That's a perfect description." The two of them continue to research until Dean came back later that night.

"Something's wrong with the kids in this town." Dean announced just as he walked through the motel door.

"Yeah, tell me about it." Sam muttered as Kim continued to stare at her laptop. "What do you know about Changelings?"

"Evil monster babies?" Dean questioned.

"Not necessarily babies." Kim answered.

"The kids. Creepy, 'stare at you like you're lunch' kids?" Dean stated as she realised what they were talking about.

"Yeah. When Dean and I went around looking for answered, there was one at every victim's house," Sam confirmed, looking up at Kim who just nodded.

•※•

Kim and Dean were preparing their equipment for the hunt as Sam continued to research on his laptop as he sat on the bed. Dean was preparing his fire-torch as Kim did her own and cleaned her iron knife. She watched as it glistened in the motel light, threateningly. She held it up to the light and looked at it proudly, nodding in satisfaction of it cleanness. She took it down from the light when she saw Dean eyeing it, yet she still played with it in her hands.

"I'm thinking of engraving it," Kim suggested, looking over to Dean, "but I don't know what."

"Great," he replied lazily, not looking up from his work. Kim rolled her eyes and continued to swirl it in between her fingers.

"What should it be?" she asked specifically, seeing he didn't get the hint the first time.

"I don't know, Kim," Dean shrugged, looking up to her.

"I don't know why I asked." she groaned to herself, ignoring his sudden glance at her.

"So, Changelings can perfectly mimic children. According to lore, they climb in the window, snatch the kid. There were marks on the windowsill at one of the kid's houses. Looked to me like blood," Sam said as he looked up from his laptop.

"The Changeling grabs a kid, assumes its form, joins the happy fam just for kicks?" Dean asked.

"Nope, they feed on the mom," Kim said, not looking up.

"The moms have these odd bruises on the back of their necks. Changelings can drain them for a few weeks before mom finally croaks."

"And it seems like whoever get in the way, ends up dead," Kim continued, hinting towards the dads that died in their freak 'accidents'.

"And fire's the only way to waste them?" Sam just nodded. "Great. We'll just bust in, drag the kids out, torch them on the front lawn. That will play great with the neighbours. What about the real ones? What happens to them?"

"They stash them underground somewhere. I don't know why, but if it's true, the real kids might be out there." Sam nodded.

"We better start looking." Dean got up and sighed, beat, "So, any kid in the neighbourhood is vulnerable?" Dean asked suddenly.

"Yep," Kim said popping the 'p' as she grabbed her stuff.

"We gotta make a stop. I want to check on someone."

"If the real kids are still alive, we don't have time." Sam pointed out.

"We have to," Dean ordered.

•※•

It was night and Dean had pulled up to a nice family house with a homely feel to it. Quickly, Dean popped out of the car and walked up to the door and knocked on it. Kim watched for inside the Impala as the door opened and woman opened the door. Dean smiled his award-winning smile at her but she didn't seem to buy it.

"So, this is Lisa?" Kim asked, "as in Lisa and Ben?" Sam who just shrugged.

"I guess so." They watched as Dean held out something to Lisa and she took it, looking at it carefully before passing it back to him. It was very clear that she became irritated very soon as she screamed at him and slammed the door in his face, but instead of making his way back to the car, he sneaked around the side of the how.

"Oh God, what's he doing now?" Kim sighed. After returning, Dean made his way back to the Impala rapidly and hopped in.

"They took Ben, he's changed," Dean muttered frantically.

"What? Are you sure?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I checked his windowsill," Dean confirmed.

"Blood?" Kim asked.

"I don't think it is blood, and I think I know where the kids are," Dean breathed looking back at Kim in the rear-view mirror. Kim just nodded and they were on their way.

It was a short drive only a few minutes away as Dean parked the Impala outside a semi-finished house. There was no plaster, brick or cement, it was all wood and the place was set out like a small construction site. They got out the car and was met by a large pile of dirt outside the house.

"Red dirt," Sam muttered looking at the pile in front of him.

"That's what was on the window. You take the front. I'll go around, Kim follow me," Dean instructs before they walked off. Kim followed Dean close behind. It was very dark out and the house was still in the process of being built. Tools were left lying around and piles of material were spotted here and there.

When they made it to the back, there was an entrance. Dean held his light out as he searched the dark obis inside the house to make sure it was clear. Dean stepped in first and Kim followed, holding out her flashlight a she searched for anything moving.

From inside, the house looked like it was about to fall. The wooden panels were sl8ouched and some boards were broken. They walked through sheets held up in wooden archways as they made their way around the house. Dean found a basement door and walked down the stairs. It was almost empty, but in the back of the room was a series of cages with metal chains around the, holding kids.

The two of them rushed to a cage and saw the kids were tired and fatigued, not even bothering to cry for help.

"We're gonna get you outta here," Kim assured as she looked for an opening. Dean rushed past Kim and to a different cage where he met a young boy.

"Ben... Ben... it's okay. I'm gonna get you out of here," Dean breathed heavily as she also searched for an opening.

Kim's hands rushed over the metal chain until she found the lock. She felt inside her pockets to see if she was lucky enough to bring her lock-pick, but she hadn't. She didn't even have a pin in her hair. Frantically, just in case something popped out of the darkness, she looked for something hard to smash the lock with. Luckily, she found a metal pole and started breaking the locks to the cages. She smashed down on the locks with all her strength and they broke and opened. Rapidly, she chucked the pole to Dean as he broke the rest of the locks and Kim helped the kids out of their cage. She crouched to the cage level and pulled the kids out, they were almost to fatigued to move.

"It's okay. We're gonna get you out," Dean breathed, taking the kids out of the cages. Kim herds the kids to a window as Dean prepares to smash it. "Everybody back! Everybody back! Close your eyes!" Dean ordered the kids as he smashed the window for them to get out of. Dean began to brush off glass when Ben took off his jacket.

"Here, use this," Ben held out his jacket to Dean who took it and placed it over the glass. Quickly, Kim helped the kids get through the window as Sam rushed in the room, panting.

"There's a mother," Sam breathed out to them as Kim continued to help the kids out the window.

"A mother Changeling?" Dean asked as he helped Kim.

"We got to get these kids out quick," Sam said as Dean held up a kid to the window.

"Right there. There's another cage, break the lock," Kim instructed quickly pointing to the cage with a woman in it.

The three of the were rushing around, trying to get the kids out before the mother came back.

"I guess that's why the Changelings are keeping the kids alive, - so the mom can snack on them," Kim said as Sam helped the woman out the cage. A woman that looked like the woman in the cage charged into the basement. Dean stopped helping the kids and went to Sam's side to help him defeat the mother.

Kim was by the window helping the kids get through. She was rushing as fast as she could and when she looked over her shoulder, Sam and Dean were both laying on the floor. Kim groaned and looked down to Ben.

"Ben, look after the kids and make sure you get outta here," she said she ran away from the window and towards the woman, as she headed for Dean. Kim kicked the woman in the back, causing her to fall on her stomach, smashing her chin of the floor. Kim was reaching for her match when she felt a hand grab her ankle. Quickly, before Kim could process anything, the woman chucked her into a wall. Kim felt a sharp pain in her back and a stinging sensation in her hands but instantly ignored it.  
Still laying on the ground, she quickly glanced up to see Ben escape from the window. Pushing herself off the floor, she charged towards the woman, punching her in the face. Kim felt the force of the punch run up her arm and stop at her shoulder.

She stumbled back and Kim grabbed her neck, a fiery heat in her hands. The woman started screaming in pain as a red mark drew around her neck where Kim's hands were. Kim could feel fire pouring from her palms and onto the skin of the woman. Forcefully she ripped herself out of Kim's grasp and Kim went flying towards a broken pile of wood.

Her head became dizzy and her vision was blurry, but she forced herself to hold her head up to see that Sam has torched her with a huge flame as Dean stood behind him. She watched as she burst into flames, never to exist again. Kim sighed in relief and let her head lay limp and her eyes close.

•※•

It was morning when they finally made it it Lisa's house to drop off Ben. They all hopped out the car as Lisa ran from her house to meet Ben as he ran towards her.

"Ben?! Ben! Baby are you okay?" Lisa asked as she hugged her son tightly in her front garden. Kim licked her lips as she watched and Dean nodded as he walked up to them.

"I'm okay, mom," Ben replied, hugging his mom back

"Oh, my god. What the hell just happened?" she asked quickly, letting go of Ben.

"I'll explain everything if you want me to, but trust me, you probably don't. The important thing is that Ben's safe," Dean said, ruffling Ben's hair.

"Thank you," Lisa smiled up at Dean, "Thank you." Lisa looked behind Dean to see Kim and Sam leaning against the car. Kim sent a single smile that could only be notice if one was looking for it and Lisa sent one back. "She's a bit young, don't you think?" Lisa said suddenly

Dean looked over his shoulder to Kim, his eye tracing her as she leaned against the Impala. He knew she was young, he constantly reminded her of it, but he would be lying if he said she wasn't very mature and professional and most of the time, her age slipped from his mind. But Dean could never doubt that Kim was young, too young to be that good.

"She may be young but she one of the best hunters I know," Dean nodded, believing every word he had just said. Kim shoved her hand in her pocket and gave Ben a slight smile which he returned.

"How young is young?" Lisa asked, nosily.

"Nineteen," Dean said as he looked at Kim over his shoulder. She smiled slightly and coughed awkwardly. Lisa looked over Dean's shoulder to watch Kim as she stood next to the Impala, leaning on the back door. Kim sent her a half-smile before looking away.

"Look, if, um... if you want to stick around for a while... you're welcome to stay," she said to Dean. Kim heard from the car and she looked down with a sad smile before turning to Sam and nodding, gesturing for them to leave. As she was walking to the front seat, she saw Ben run up to her.

"Uh, just wanted to say thanks," he said as Kim nodded slowly. She crouched down to his level and nodded to the young kid. She let out a deep breath as she stared at him, thinking of how his childhood was so different form hers.

"Anytime," she smiled, slightly patting his back. He smiled and nodded before walking back to his mom. Kim huffed with a smile and a nod. He seemed like a nice kid, realistic, tough and determined. Someone who would grow up to be a good hunter.

"Nah, I can't. I got a lot of work to do, and it's not my life." Lisa nodded disappointingly. Kim looked up from the car and saw Dean hugging Lisa before walking off towards his baby. Kim raised an eyebrow and watched as Dean nodded her to the backseat. She just smirked quickly and moved to the back, just like normal.

They began to drive, and they weren't even down the street when Dean turned on his classic rock music. Kim smirked to herself as she nodded along to the music. The speed began to rise as Dean drove past their previous motel and onto the highway, a long ride to nowhere ahead of them.

She looked up and out the window and they were driving down a long highway, where there was no other car in sight. Kim got comfortable in the back, slouching her back and letting her arms and legs go limp as she rested her head on her shoulders. She and the boys had stayed up all night fighting the mother Changeling and sending the kids off to their correct homes so she though she deserved a little nap but no matter how long she rested her head and closed her eyes, she couldn't sleep. It wasn't the bumpiness of the drive or volume of the music, it was the constant though that if she had held her hands on that Changeling for a moment longer, it would have burst up in flames. Or how she exorcised the demon with her bare hands. It was as if she could feel the human side of her slipping from her body. But what scared her the most was if her human side was slipping, what was taking over?

Kim held her head up and fixed her posture, giving up on the idea of falling asleep and excepting the fact that she may not be sleeping for a while, even if her body desperately needed it.

Kim looked up and saw Dean looking at her through the rear-view mirror. Slowly, he looked back to the road. Throughout the drive, Dean had been making an effort to glance up at Kim everyone in a while. Kim had noticed every now and again and took nothing of the small, insignificant action.

Since the three of them had no idea where they were going or what they were going to do next, they just continued to drive. They had passed through towns, motels and restaurants but never stopped. They just kept going. No one minded that much, just a cramped leg here and a sore back there, but it was nothing they hadn't dealt with before. The time spent in the car was longer than Kim had expected but she definitely wouldn't have had it any other way. The music was blaring, the conversations were flowing and when the conversation stopped, it was anything but awkward.

Eventually, their time in the Impala came to an end - not for a motel or restaurant but when the day had turned into night and the sky was clear, they parked the car in the middle of nowhere. Kim was the first to leave the car and venture out, Dean not far behind and they sat on the hood and watched the stars for hours... without saying a word.


	23. Chapter Twenty-One

Months had passed since that day with Lisa and the three of them had managed to get themselves into a bit of trouble since. Her name was Bella; somehow, they had managed to bump into her on their travels. Kim's dislike for her was immediate. Whether it was her election of equipment or the fact that she was some serious competition compared in the hunting business; Kim's found it easy to find her untrustworthy.

When the brothers and Kim started a new mission with finding John's secret storage compartment to find his rabbit's foot, Bella had managed to steal it from them and cause bad luck to strike poor Sam wherever he went ending with him loosing his shoe. Somehow, after outsmarting the cunning Bella, they managed to burn the rabbit's foot and restore the originally uneven luck upon the three of them with everyone still breathing. As the mission ended, so did their contact with Bella and although Kim tried, she was off the maps.

From there, they found themselves at Bobby's, trying to help restore the Colt so it would work again after they used all the bullets. Bobby had his head stuck into a useless diagram of the Colt, showing him the parts and how to put it together. Kim looked over his shoulder as Bobby fiddled with a gun piece, looking at it through a microscope.

"You know, for a labeled diagram, this thing's pretty useless," Kim huffed giving up and leaving Bobby to fix it himself.

"Tell me about it," he huffed as Dean melted metal to make bullets. Kim went over to Dean and helped him instead, knowing that making bullets wasn't as hard as resembling the Colt. Dean looked up at her and handed her the metal to melt as he popped out the bullet he just made from the mold and put it in ice cold water.

"Hey, what's up?" Dean asked Sam as he walked into the room after doing research.

"Might have found some omens in Ohio. Dry lightning, barometric-pressure drop," Sam said holding up his evidence.

"Well that's thrilling," Dean muttered sarcastically, not looking up from his work.

"Plus, some guy blows his head off in a church and another goes postal in a hobby shop before the cops take him out," Sam continued. "Might be demonic omens," he suggested.

"Or just a suicide and a psycho scrapbooker," Dean answered, looking up and shrugging.

"Yeah, but it's our best lead," Sam added.

"Where in Ohio?" Kim asked, also not looking up.

"Elizabethville. It's a half-dead factory town in the rust belt."

"There's gotta be a demon or two in South Beach," Dean sighed.

"Sorry, Hef. Maybe next time," Sam replied before looking up at Bobby, "How's it going, Bobby?"

"Slow," Bobby grouched, looking up for only a second before going back to his work.

"I tell you, it's a little sad seeing the Colt like that." Dean said, looking over to the dismantled Colt.

"The only thing its good for now is figuring out what makes it tick," Bobby mumbled, fumbling with another piece.

"So, what makes it tick?" Kim asked. Bobby looked up from his work and sent her a glare which she returned with a smirk before putting her hands up in surrender.

"So, if we want to go check out these omens in Ohio..." Dean pointed to the Colt pieces, "You think you can have that thing ready by this afternoon?" Dean teased as he picked up his duffel bag and Sam smiled at his brothers joke. Bobby looked up slowly and Sam turned his head so Bobby couldn't see his smirk and Kim held her tongue to make sure her laughed didn't escaped.

"Well, it won't kill demons by then," he points it to Dean, "but I can promise you it'll kill you." Kim smiled as she grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder.

"All right, come on, we're wasting the daylight," Dean said with a cheeky smile.

"Alright, see ya Bobby," Kim said as she whaled with Dean.

"Bye Bobby," Sam said.

"Hey, you three run into anything – anything – you call me." They all nodded and left.

•※•

They headed towards Elizabethville, Ohio and made their way to the church, where the suicide had taken place. When they got there, a Father greeted them as insurance people. Dean and Sam had a nice suit on and Kim managed to get a tight, black pencil skirt and a white top.

"There's not much left for the insurance company. It was a suicide – I saw it myself," Father Gil announced as they walked down the aisle of the church.

"Well, this shouldn't take long, then," Dean assured as he flipped through his notepad to take down notes.

"That's where Andy did it. It's the first time I'd seen him in weeks. He used to come every Sunday," Father said, looking up at the alter.

"When did he stop?" Sam asked.

"Probably about two months ago right around the time everything else started to change," Father replied.

"Change how?" Sam asked again.

"Let's just say this used to be a town you could be proud of. People... cared about each other. Andy sang in the choir and then one day, he just wasn't Andy anymore. It was like he was..."

"Possessed?" Sam asked, finishing his sentence as dean took down notes. The three of them waited hastily for his answer. Father slowly turned to look and Sam and nodded.

"You could say that. Gambled away his money, cheated on his wife, destroyed his business. Yes, like a switch had flipped."

"Father, did you know the man who killed those folks in the hobby shop?" Kim asked politely.

"Sure, Tony Perkins,"

"Tony Perkins," Sam repeated to himself.

"Good man."

"Would you say that his personality suddenly changed one day, too?" Sam sighed. father shuffled on his feet as he though of the answer.

"I never thought about it that way, but... yes. about the same time as Andy - about two months ago," Father finished.

"Well, thank you, Father. Appreciate your time," Dean said, closing his notepad. Father just nodded and walked inwards towards the church while the three of them walked out.

"Two months ago, we open up the devil's gate, all of a sudden this town turns into Margaritaville? It's no coincidence," Sam whispered to them, making sure the priest didn't hear.

•※•

The three of them made their way to the nearest motel and Kim was dying to get out of that tight, uncomfortable pencil skirt; although Dean wasn't in as much as a rush as she was. Dean smirked and laughed as they opened the door to their shared motel room and saw the ceiling was covered in mirrors. It didn't surprise Kim in the slightest, deciding this motel was a very sketchy place to say, but it was a pleasant surprise for Dean who got a kick out of it. Kim just scoffed playfully and chucked her bag on the couch, searching for some pants to put on.

Dean went to close the door when the motel door across the narrow hall opened and a guy stepped out wearing a white hat over slicked back hair, cheap jacket and a gold necklace.

"Richie?" Dean asked as he looked at the guy. The guy lifted his head when he heard his name being called. Dean scoffed a laugh when he got a good look of his face. "I don't believe it." Dean stepped out of the motel to greet Richie as Sam undid his tie and Kim found her jeans at the bottom of the bag and went into the bathroom to change.

"Aye, Dean Winchester, right?" he asked with a deep Italian accent. "Yeah," he said as a blonde girl exited his room as he pulled out money. She was wearing a bright pink top that pushed her boobs up and bleach blonde hair that went to her waist. Dean looked at her in slight shock as she leaned against the door frame. "Uh, this is my sister, Sheryl."

"Sheryl," Dean greeted as Richie handed her money. She shoved it between her breasts and walked off, shaking her ass as she left. The three men watched her as she walked and Kim had just changed into her ripped, skinny jeans, tight singlet and leather jacket.

"Well, you know, step sister," Richie laughed as he looked back at the Winchesters.

"Come on in," Dean gestured towards their room. "This is my brother, Sam," Dean introduced as Richie walked in, smiling to himself.

"How you doing?" Richie asked Sam as he walked in.

"Not too bad. How do you two know each other?" Sam asked

"You were in school," Dean nodded as he looked back at his old classmate.

"It was that Succubus, in Granasi right?"

"Yeah," Dean laughed, "yeah."

"Oh, man. You should have seen the rack on this broad. Freakin' tragedy when I had to gank her."

"Whoa, whoa. Wait. Who killed her? If I remember, your ass was toast until I showed up," Dean boasted.

"Oh, I forgot what a comedian this guy was," Richie laughed as Kim stepped out of the bathroom, straightening out her black, leather jacket. It only took seconds for Richie's attention to switch to the woman that walked into his line of site. "Well hello there," he smirked as he strutted over to Kim.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on a minute," Dean holstered Richie as his eyes scanned Kim before moving to Dean.

"She yours? How'd you score one like this?" he said as he looked back at Kim. Kim scoffed slightly and smiled as he smirked at her.

"He wishes," Kim smirked as Richie raised an eyebrow.

"So, you're single?" Richie asked hopefully.

"Happily," Kim answered.

"Positive?"

"Okay, take a step back buddy. She said back off," Dean barked, stepping forward.

"Uh, I'm pretty sure she didn't," Richie smiled cheekily.

"Back off," Kim smirked evilly. Richie looked up at her with a smirk before putting his hands up in surrender and backed off, his lips falling into a fake frown. Suddenly his phone went off and he answered it.

"Talk to me. No, it's not a good time, baby. Later." Richie hung up the phone and looked up at the boys as Kim moved to stand near them.

"You find anything in this town, yet?" Dean asked him.

"Uh, no. I got nothing," Richie shrugged as they stared at him, "Oh, wait a minute. You mean demons and whatnot," Richie realised.

"Yeah," Kim nodded, raising an eyebrow, waiting to see what he had.

"No, I got nothing."

"Typical, what about your sister back there?" Dean suggested.

"Honestly, she had the devil in her but she wasn't no demon, you know what I'm saying?" Dean sends Richie a glare. "Right, seriously. Church guy, hobby-shop guy - they were lunch meat by the time I got there. Maybe they were possessed, but I can't prove it."

"Yeah, that's where we are, too. Let's just say the demons are possessing people in this town... you know, raising hell..." Sam replied.

"But why would a demon blow his brains out?" Dean asked.

"For fun? He wrecks one body, moves to another. Like taking a stolen car for a joyride."

"Anybody else left in town that fits the profile - nice guy turned douche - that's still breathing?" Dean questioned.

"There's Trotter," Richie recalled.

"Who's that?" Sam asked.

"He used to be head of the Rotary Club. Then he turned bastard all of a sudden, brought in the gambling, the hookers. He practically owns this whole town," Richie snickered.

"Know where we could find him?" Kim asked. Richie turned and smirked at her.

"It'll come at a price," he smirked, still trying his charm with Kim who rolled her eyes and huffed, slightly irritated. She licked her teeth and huffed a laugh.

"How about you tell us and you keep all your teeth?" she replied, leaning on one leg as she crossed her arms. Richie smirked and looked up to Dean who shook his head at him.

"She's not joking," he replied, making Richie look back at Kim. She shrugged, not taking her eyes off of him and he started to believe that she wasn't joking.

"Oh, he'll be at his bar in a few hours."

•※•

The three of them pull up outside the bar in the Impala, the town buzzing. Men were drinking at the bar as girls danced and walked the streets on fishnet stockings and revealing tops. Kim felt very out of place with her long jeans and short leather jacket. Dean watched as girls gawked at him as he stepped out of the car and what Kim though was a dead-beat town was actually buzzing with life.

"I thought you said this was some boarded-up factory town," Dean asked Sam as he looked into the open bar.

"It is. At least, it's supposed to be," Sam muttered as he looked around in awe.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's do some research," Dean smirked as he made his way through the crowd and to the bar. As they made their way, Dean saw a familiar face in the crowd.

"Oh, Richie, look at you," Dean smirked at his outfit as Richie made his way towards the tree of them.

"Hey," Richie greeted.

"Bringing Satin back," Dean smirked.

"Oh, you like this? Try Thai silk - Canal Street," he smirked, "You have to pay $300 for threads like these, easy. Cost to me - fuggedaboutit," he tusked with a thick accent.

"How much is 'fuggedaboutit'?" Sam teased with a smile.

"Ah, forget about it," he smiled as Kim huffed a laugh, "That's Trotter over there. He sits there all night. Can't touch him," he pointed to a bold man over towards the other side of the bar who was surrounded by people.

"So, what do we do now?" Kim asked

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm gonna do a little investigating with that bartender." Dean smirked as they all looked over to the bartender who undoubtedly was an attractive girl.

"Easy," Richie warned, "Me and her, we got a little somethin'-somethin' lined up for later."

"Yeah, right," Dean scoffed

"Stings, don't it?" Richie said, "Plus, you got this little number," he smirked at Kim who eyed him dangerously.

"I'd be careful, shes gotta gun," Sam smirked.

"Feisty," he winked. "All right, I got to hit the head. Release the hostages. Be back in a few," he smirked, playfully hitting Dean's arm as he walked off.

"No way he gets a girl like that. I mean, look at her. You could fit that ass on a nickel," Dean smirked as he leaned on the bar, looking at the bartenders ass. Kim and Sam huffed and Dean sent them a shrug.

"You think so?" The three of them turned around and say Father in his uniform, sitting at the bar with a drink in his hand. The three of them looked down on him, surprised to see him casually in the bar.

"Oh, sorry padre," Dean apologised awkwardly.

"Knew you would find your way here. They all do."

"No offense, but what are you doing here, Father?" Sam asked.

"Like it or not, you go where your flock is," Father sighed, taking a sip. The bartender turned around and faced the four of them and poured Father another drink.

"Plus, the clergy drinks for free." she smirked.

"True, and a certain bartender owes me a confession," Father said to the bartender teasingly.

"Not in this lifetime, Father."

"I better see your butt on Sunday," he looked at Dean, "Nickel or no nickel." With that, he got up and left. Dean smirked as Kim turned around and leaned on the bar, not facing the bartender.

"What can I get ya, boys," The bartender said to the boys, ignoring Kim's presence, her tone dripping in flirtation.

"What's your specialty?" Dean smirked.

"I make a mean hurricane," she smiled.

"I guess we'll see about that." Kim turned around and saw the girl had gone off to make his drink. Kim turned to the brother.

"Don't you think it's a bit weird to see the priest of the town at the local bar?" Kim asked suspiciously. The boys just shrug, believing what Father had told them. Kim raised an eyebrow and looked around the bar, no longer interested in what Sam and Dean were doing. She leaned against the bar and searched though the crowd for anything weird when her eyes landed on man entering the room near the pool table and started having a conversation with another guy.

Kim instantly saw the gun the man held in his hands and quickly nudged Sam next to her and nodded in his direction, before running off in their direction, pushing through the crowd. Sam had to smack Dean on the shoulder to get his attention, not taking his eyes off of the suspects and pointed towards the guy before running off with Kim, Dean following close behind as they sprinted towards the man before anything drastic could happen. They shoved through the crowd, trying to yell over the music but people wouldn't move.

A loud bang went through the bar and everyone started screaming. Dean tackled the the man with the gun to the ground, piping the gun out of his grip. Kim ran the the other man as he fell, a bullet stuck in his chest.

"What are you going?! He slept with my wife! That bastard slept with my wife!" The man with the gun shouted as Sam sprinkled holy water on him, but no steam.

"Someone call 911!" Sam screamed into the crowd as people rushed around them. Kim put pressure on the bullet wound and looked into the man eyes, but they were shut and she couldn't find trace of a heart beat.

Later on in the day, the three of them sat in the bar and watched as the police cuffed Reggie – the man with the gun – and lead him away. Sam looked around, a bundle of cops were spread around the scene doing their own thing. Sam shoved his hands in his pocket as he watched them, trying his best not to look at them directly.

"Too many cops here, I say we roll," Sam whispered to Dean. Kim looked up at the brothers.

"So, let me get this straight, you're on the run from the cops because you faked your death but on suspicion for 'murdered' in Saint Louis," Kim said pointing to Dean, who smirked and nodded, "and you were taken in as an accomplice but are now running 'cause you broke Dean outta jail." Sam nodded nowhere near as proud as Dean was.

"Now you're both runnin' 'cause you escaped jail and I'm her in the middle of it. What the hell did I get myself into?" Kim scoffed as she playfully shook her head at the bothers.

"Just be cool," Dean told Sam and Kim as they watched Reggie get shoved in a cop car, "Poor jerk. The only thing possessing him was a side of Pabst."

"So, people gettin' possessed or not?" Kim asked the brothers.

"I don't know. Maybe it is just what it is - town full of scumbags," Dean shrugged

"Yeah. Maybe," Sam replied. A police officer walked up to them.

"You three easy to get you mug shot?" he asked. The three of them look to each other, a nervous expression on their faces. The officer saw their discomfort and explained. "The photographer's gonna be here in a few and take your picture for the local paper."

"It would be an honor, officer," Dean sighed, relieved. "What a thrill."

"Yep, time to go," Sam hasted to Kim and Dean, grabbing Kim's arm to drag her away before the photographer arrived to take their photo. The last thing they needed was their face in the paper and Kim right beside them, being an associate, but Dean didn't move.

"Wait a second, wait a second," Dean said looking around for someone. Kim stopped and turned around to Dean.

"What?"

"Where's Richie?" he asked, looking around but he was nowhere to be seen.

•※•

Dean and Kim sat at a table in Trotters bar as Dean took a bite out of his greasy burger after checking his phone to see if Richie had called back since the last time he checked. Kim sat opposite him, she wasn't very hungry, she just sat with him as girls gawked at him from afar. Kim turned to Dean who was too invested in his burger to realise.

"You sure I can't get a beer?" Kim asked Dean, who had stopped her from getting a drink. She had tried, she really had. She was at the bar, her fake ID was out and ready, Sam and Dean were off talking to someone else and she was just waiting for the bartender to finish what he was doing. He was walking over to her, about to take her order, when she felt a strong grasp on around her arm drag her away from the bar. She turned to see Dean pulling her towards a table, nodding an apology to the bartender.

"Yes," he replied.

"Yes, I can get a drink?" she smirked as Sam returned from the bar with two beers, one for him and his brother.

"No," Sam intervened, placing a beer in front of his brother as he sat down. He looked over at Dean as he munched on his burger. "You do realise there's red meat within striking distance, right?"

"How many times I got to tell Richie, he's gonna get himself in trouble?" Dean barked.

"Dean, you're assuming he's missing. I mean, maybe he just bailed," Sam shrugged, taking a sip.

"He's a moron. He's a sweet moron, but he's not a coward– hey!" Kim had reached over and taken a sip of Dean's beer, sighing with satisfaction as her put it back.

"Shoulda let me get my own," she teased. Dean rolled his eyes and continued.

"Richie wouldn't just bail. I got to go find him." Dean argued.

"All right. Meanwhile I think I'm gonna trail this Trotter guy."

"Yeah?" Kim asked.

"I don't know. Something about the way he looked at me last night. Maybe there is something going on here."

"I'll come," Kim said looking to Sam who nodded at her.

•※•

Sam and Kim cautiously sneaked down a corridor blow the bar on their way to Trotter's office. Sam hauled at the corner, stopping Kim in her tracks and stuck his head around the corner to see Trotters office door open with a few men inside. A loud ring from Sam phone broke the stealthy silence the two of them had held as Sam fractionally when to answer his phone as Kim face-palmed herself quietly.

"Dean,"

"Sammy,"

"Yeah, hey I can't talk right now," Sam whispered, cupping the phone so Dean could hear his whispering better.

"You guys okay?" Den asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just meet me at the bar in 20 minutes, okay?" Sam whispered before hanging up, not having the time to explain since he had heard footstep coming their way. Kim slapped him on the shoulder, warning him to hurry up and hang up as they ran to a hiding place.

The two of them waited for men in there to leave before going to investigate. They sneaked around the corner and marched into his office, him foolishly leaving the door unlocked. Sam and Kim walked up to the desk and shuffled through some files and books while Kim started looking through the draws for anything demonic.

Suddenly she saw Sam being grabbed from the shoulder and swung at but he ducked, quickly punching the man in the stomach. Trotter's body guard grunted with ever punch and was about to collapsed to the floor. Kim was a bout to jump in the fight when she felt a cold metal pressed to the side of her head. Sam instantly stopped as the man slowly recovered. Kim held her hands up, her face blank and emotionless as the gun dug into her skin.

"What are you doing here?" Trotter barked as he held the gun to Kim's head.

"I think maybe you know." Sam seethed as he looked to Kim with urging eyes.

"Yeah. Well, I think I'm calling the cops." Trotter exclaimed.

"Cops?" Kim said in shock, a wave of discomfort and realisation on Sam's face.

"Breaking and entering, assault - you're in a pack of trouble, my friends."

"Uh, you see, I'm sure I can explain-" Kim grabbed the side of Trotters hand and forced the gun from his grip, wrestling the gun out of his hand.

"All right, take a stepback, buddy," Kim pointed the gun at Trotter and his body guard as they stepped back. Sam walked over to Kim and nodded towards her.

"Get back. Money's in the safe! Take it and go," Trotter said, putting his hands up in surrender.

"We don't want your money. I just got to be sure," Sam splashed both men with holy water and they waited for some stream and screams, but nothing happened. The men wipe the water off their face.

"What kind of psycho are you?" Trotter spat.

"Oh, god. Uh, I'm sorry," Sam replied with an embarrassed shrug and an awkward smile. "I think this was just a minor misunderstanding." The two of them started backing towards the door, an embarrassed expression on their face. Kim smiled awkwardly and poured the bullets out of the gun and put it down slowly as the two guys watched them. "Yeah, okay. How 'bout we just leave, cause... you know. Uh... You, uh...have a nice day?" Sharply, the two of the turned around and quickly walked out of the room and around the corner, cursing themselves as they did.

The two of the m walked up to the bar and waited for Dean, standing around, looking for him. They leaned on the bar as Sam sent an awkward smile to the prostitute eyeing him, as she seductively licked her maraschino cherry.

"You look kind of tense. You know, I know a surefire way to relax," the woman whispered seductively.

"Maybe later," Sam excused, looking away quickly and back at Kim who sent him a cheeky smirk.

"Seems like everyone's in for a piece of a Winchester, today," Kim laughed as Sam rolled his eyes playfully. "Excuse me" Kim called the attention of the bartender as he wiped a glass clean. He was a short man with a balding head and a stump figure.

"What can I get for you?" he said, licking his lips and looking Kim up and down. Unknowingly, she curled her underlip and looked to Sam for support. Kim smiled at the guy, needing his help and decided to ignore his 'seductive' gales just in case she cringed.

"Uh, you remember the guy that was with us last night. Taller than me, shorter than this guy," she said pointing to Sam, "have you seen him around anywhere?"

"Oh, the big hero guy that jumped on Reggie," the bartender

"Yeah, that guy."

"Depends," the bartender smirked. Kim raised an eyebrow and sighed as she pulled out some money from her wallet. "It's not money I want, doll," he finished with a smirk. Kim recoiled awkwardly as the man eyed her. Sam groaned and ripped the money from her hands and slammed it down on the bar angrily.

"Well, money's all you're gonna get," Sam spat and Kim slightly relaxed.

"He left with Casey an hour ago," he said, taking the money.

"Any idea where they went?" Sam asked.

"Her place... for bible study." the bartender smirked.

"You got an address?" Sam asked eagerly.

"What's wrong with you? You think I'm gonna give you a co-worker's address just so you can go over there and get your freaky peeping-tom rocks off?" Sam pulls out more money for him. "Corner of Piermont and Clinton. Have fun." Kim walked off quicker than Sam, eager to got out of that situation as fast as possible.

The two of them drove to her address and but the lights were out on her house and it looked empty.

"Dean!" Sam and Kim called out as Sam knocked on the door, there was no answer. They made their way into the house and started to look around after they got no response. They sneaked around the house, looking in rooms to see if Dean was in there, preferably not naked. Sam looked at a photo Casey had on a bench of her when she was younger, some rosary bead hanging off the frame. Sam put it down and saw a dust powder behind it. Quickly, he scooped some with his finger and smelt it.

"Kim!" he called and Kim quickly found him, "it's sulfur."

They got into their car and made their way back to the bar, hoping to find some other information.

"Hey, Bobby, it's Sam. We got a big problem. We found some sulfur, and now I can't find Dean. Call me as soon as you get this." Sam said to Bobby's answering machine as they made their way into the bar.

"Hey, excuse me. They weren't there," Sam said rapidly, both of them knowing that Dean could now be in danger, potentially being stuck with a demon, unarmed.

"I guess you got to catch your jollies another night," the bartender said as he poured a shot and put it on the bar "Here. Why don't you have a drink and relax? It's on the house."

"I don't want to relax. What is it with the people in this town?" Sam said frustrated as Kim quickly took the shit, slamming the shot glass back onto the table. The bartender smiled at her as she swallowed the burning liquid. Sam sent her a look and she just shrugged.

"It was on the house," she shrugged, using it as an excuse as the bartender sent her a wink. She smiled awkwardly back, not knowing to how react. Kim looked away awkwardly when she was nudged by Sam, gesturing her to follow him as he made his way to Father Gil, sitting in a booth by himself, enjoying his drink.

"Father," Sam said, getting his attention as he sipped his drink.

"Yes?" he asked, looking up.

"Can we talk to you for a sec."

"So, the - the bartender the other night, Casey, you know her pretty well?" Sam asked as they both sat down.

"Since she was in pigtails," he replied with a smile.

"Well, um, she and my brother, they, uh...they...left tonight. Together," Sam replied awkwardly, not knowing how to phrase it.

"Well, not that I approve, but they are consenting adults," Father smiled at his awkwardness.

"Right. Father GIL I'm sorry. You said 'brother.' I thought you were insurance investigators," Father replied.

"Right, right. Well, we are. Um, it's like a family business, you know?"

"And you and their sister?" he asked Kim she politely shook her head.

"Family friend."

"Anyways, um, so, I went to Casey's apartment, and they weren't there. I just have this feeling that they - that they might be in trouble," Sam interrupted, needing to move on t save his brother.

"What kind of trouble?" Father asked.

"Just trouble. Please, Father, I need your help. Is there anything you could tell me about Casey - anyplace she'd go, maybe?" Sam asked.

"Yes, there is a place. Let me get my jacket," Father replied.

"No, wait, Father. We can do it ourselves," Sam insisted.

"Son, if Casey's really in trouble, then there's nothing to talk about." Father stood up and put on his coat, before looking to the two of them. "Shall we go?"

The car ride had a nice conversation going as Father asked a few questions about them. Kim replied as vaguely as possible and didn't speak unless asked specifically. When the three of them arrived at their destination, they jumped out of the car quickly. The house also looked empty, with no lights on. Sam and Kim went to some side and started looking while Father went on the other.

"Dean!" Kim and Sam shouted, listening for a response.

"Sam! Kim!" they heard Dean reply, screaming their names.

"Dean?" Sam replied as Kim listened for more noise.

"Sammy, down here! The basement caved in!" he called. They followed the sound to a little gutter with bars on it, where Dean's head emerged out from the darkness.

"Dean. Hey, hold on, okay? We're coming. I'm here with Kim and the Father." They watched as Dean looked behind him before looking back up at them, a worried expression on his face.

"Be careful," Dean warned and they both knew exactly what they meant. Kim got up from the gutter quickly and turned around, only to be met by Father with black eyes. Kim went in for a swing, but she was thrown to the other side of the ward before she could do anything. She quickly got up, but he grabbed her by the throat and through her straight down with all the strength he could muster.

Kim felt her head throb as it smashed on the concrete. A stinging sensation spread form her head to her Kim blinked hard, trying to improve her blurred vision. Kim tried to lift her head, but it was so heavy. She pushed through the stinging pain as she bit her lip and she managed to push the top half of her body off the ground, only to see Bobby lying on the floor. Kim tried to yell out, to call and see if he was okay, but she couldn't speak, her head smashed against the concrete hard enough to concuss her. Her head was too heavy to hold up and she fell back to the floor as a pool of crimson blood poured from the gash on her head.

She groaned and pushed up again but her arms were too weak to keep her up, when she felt a pain of hands grab her upper arm and pull her up. She looked to see Bobby holding her up. He was blurred in her vision, but she knew it was him.

"You okay, Bobby?" she asked quickly as Bobby huffed a laugh.

"I should be asking you the same thing," Bobby looked down on Kim as she tried to walk by herself, but her body was too heavy, and the blood poured down her face. "Oh, damn it Kim. I think you have a concussion."

"Oh, great," Kim huffed as Bobby pushed her into his car so she had a place to sit, but she fell asleep as the headache took over her mind.

•※•

Kim woke up in their motel room, her head softly placed on a pillow. She looked up and saw Sam and Dean in there as well, doing their own thing. Kim groaned as she sat up, holding her head as a headache instantly started. Kim swung her legs over the bed but Dean had ran over to her hand put a hand on her leg, stopping her from getting up.

"Whoa, whoa, hold on Kim. You have a concussion, take a break," Dean said as he held her down. Kim gulped away some pain before pushing up again, ignoring Dean but he pushed he back down again. "Concussion," Dean repeated.

"Yeah, yeah," she waved Dean away and tied again, but she just ended up back on the bed again. Sam walked over and stood over Dean as he looked over to Kim.

"Kim, Dean's right. You have a concussion, they can last days to months. You need to rest if you wanna join the next hunt," Sam confirmed as Kim sent him a blank look. She sighed, still tense as she was about to stand up again, but she relaxed and sat on the bed and Dean's hand retreated.

"Yeah, okay. I'll give it a day," she sighed as Dean sent he a glare. She smiled at him and let her head fall back onto the pillow, falling asleep.


	24. Chapter Twenty-Two

It had taken Kim months to overcome the concussion where she spent most of her time trying to stand straight, pushing past the dizziness, nausea and tremors in order to continue with the brothers, doing as many hunts as physically possible. She refused help from the brothers, even when they insisted that she sit out if she had the will to fight back, she would. Sam started to believe her over time, knowing she was tough enough to push through it but Dean was quite the opposite, sometime cuffing her to the bed to stop her from following.

Never the less, her stubbornness forced them to take her on their next hunt to Maple Springs where a doctor was reading his coma-induced daughter a book for fairy tales, which she managed to bring to life and terrorise the town.

It was during that hunt that her dizziness faded and the concussion had reduced to nothing and she no longer had to lie anymore about being able to hunt with them. She was back to normal after an exhausting few months.

because the headaches and dizziness went away soon after that, but it had been an exhausting few months.

It was night and the three of them were driving in the Impala, Dean and Sam up front. There was no music and no talking. It was silent, the only noise was the hum of the car as it dove on the damp road on the empty road.

"So," Dean released in a deep voice, breaking the silence and leaving a strange feeling in the air as he paused. No one knew who he was addressing. "I've been waiting since Maple Springs. You got something to tell me," Dean asked, slightly turning his head to Sam, an annoyed tone now laced in his voice.

"It's not your birthday..." Sam replied slowly as Dean nodded his head.

"No," Dean confirmed.

"Happy Purim?" Sam asked with a shrug, causing Dean to send him a flat stare. Kim shuffled in the back, listening to them, wondering what he was talking about. Sam laughed slightly to stop the tension Dean had created in the car. "Dude, I don't know. I have no idea what you're talking about."

"These a bullet missing from the Colt, Sam," Dean affirmed loudly as Sam's facial expression dropped. "You want to tell me how that happened?" Sam frowned and shrugged, dismissing the question. "I knew it wasn't me and Kim still has a concussion so unless you were shooting at some incredibly evil cans... You went after her, didn't you?" Dean asked angrily, his voice was loud and commanding, "The crossroads demon after I told you not to!"'

"Yeah, well," Sam seemed unfazed.

"You could've gotten yourself killed!" Dean barked.

"I didn't."

"And you shot her?"

"She was a smartass," Sam replied quickly, an unusual anger in his tone as he spat towards his brother.

"So what, does that mean I'm out of my deal?" Dean asked angrily as if he didn't want it to be true.

"Don't you think I might have mentioned that little fact, Dean?" Sam replied instantly, a venom in his voice that sounded similar to failure. "No, someone else holds the contract."

"You know who?" Kim asked from the back, leaning forward eagerly.

"She wouldn't say," he replied with a whisper. The night had grown quieter than it had before, a disappointed silence rang through the car, everyone was desperate to silence it.

"Well, we should find out who," Dean said, "Of course our best lead would be the crossroads demon. Oh, wait a minute."

"Okay, that's enough," Kim ordered her tone a harsh bark from the back, erupting from the abyss, immediately followed by Sam feeble reply.

"That's not funny."

"No, it's not!" Dean growled. "It's a stupid fearing risk and you shouldn't have done it."

"I shouldn't have don't it?" Sam repeated as a question, his tone sickly crude. "You're my brother Dean and no matter what you do I'm going to try and save you. And I'm sure as hell not gonna apologise for it, neither is Kim," Sam barked back as Dean sent a look to Kim for the rear-view mirror.

"You're still helping him?" Dean asked angrily. Kim licked her teeth to accentuate the silence in the car. She didn't help him kill the demon, of course not, but she didn't stop him either.

"Hey, I don't want you to go to Hell either," Kim responded loudly.

"You'd rather Sam die?" Dean spat. Kim looked at Sam quickly, feeling his words trap her. A sudden surge of anger ran through her.

"No! But I'd rather help him than sit on my ass and do nothing." Kim swallowed hard as Dean shook his head again, looking back at the empty road, "Nothing's gonna happen to Sam, I won't let it. Especially not after I let you slip," Kim whispered softly, but it was clear enough to hear as she referred to the time she let Bobby down and failed to stop Dean from 'doing something stupid'. There was a silence as the boys didn't know how to respond. The hum of the car played peacefully in everyone's ears. "And I don't have a concussion," she announced louder.

•※•

The three of them and found themselves impersonating officers of the law as they stood in front of an old woman with grey, slicked-back hair as she held a framed photo of their victim – a girl that 'drowned' in the shower. The woman was elegant, well groomed and Kim presumed in her mid-sixties.

"But I don't understand. I already went over all this with the other Detectives," the woman said as she held the photo.

"Right, yes. But, see, we're with the Sheriff's Department, not the police department – different departments," Dean smiled, pulling up some excuse.

"So, Mrs Case–"

"Please, Ms Case." Ms Case corrected Sam as she eyed him up and down, a small smirk on her lips and Sam slightly smiled awkwardly as her shameless flirting. Kim and Dean raised an eyebrow quickly, huffing awkwardly at the situation.

"Okay, um, Ms Case, um you were the one who found you niece, correct?" Kim asked as she nodded.

"I came home. She was in the shower," Ms Case sighed.

"Drowned?" Dean asked.

"That's what the cornier says," she scoffed, "Now you tell me, how can someone drown in a shower?" Dean shrugged as did Kim.

"What about her behaviours, did she behave differently before her death?" Kim asked as she took down notes on her notepad. "Did she seem frightened or say something weird." The woman looked at them suspiciously, as expected from the weird questions that always ask, but her lips turned to a knowing smile after a few moments.

"Wait a minute, you're working with Alex, aren't you?" she asked surprised. Kim smiled and shuffled a bit, coughing awkwardly.

"Um, yeah. Alex is... great," Kim coughed and shrugged, hoping it was the right answer.

"Yeah, Alex and us, we're like this," Dean said as she crossed his fingers.

"Oh, why didn't you say so. Alex has been such a comfort," she sat down the one chair behind her, "but I'm sorry, I thought the case was solved," she placed the photo back on the table beside the chair.

"Um, well no. Not yet," Sam responded.

"I see."

"Well anyways, we were talking about your niece," Sam continued.

"Oh yes, Sheila mentions something quite strange before she died. She said she saw a boat,"

"A boat?" Dean asked.

"One minute it was there the other it was gone. It just disappeared before her eyes. You think it could be, ghost ship?" Ms Case asked seriously as she waited for their answer. The three of them looked at each other, "Alex think it could be a ghost ship."

"Well, um. It could be," Sam stutters.

"Well, you let me know if there's anything else I could do to help," the woman reached out and caressed Sam's hand and he recoiled slightly, "anything at all," Sam smiled awkwardly at her as Dean and Kim tried not to laugh.

After that, three of them walked down the street next to a boat harbour, breathing in the fresh air. They made their way to the Impala as they looked out onto the bay. The aura seemed casual as Dean and Kim stated teasing Sam.

"What a crazy old broad," Dean said smiling, his hands in his pockets as Kim smiled along with him.

"Why, because she believes in ghosts?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Haha, look at you stickin' up for your girlfriend," Dean teased, "You cougar hound,"

"Bite me," Sam replied and Kim smirked.

"We'll leave that up to your new friend," Kim smirked, looking up at Sam and she huffed a laugh, Dean sent her an amused smirk.

"So, who's this Alex? We got another player in town?" Dean asked.

"Maybe, maybe not. Doesn't change our job."

"It's what, a ghost ship, right?" Kim asked as she walked alongside them.

"It's not the first one sighted around here, either," Sam confirmed.

"Really?"

"Yeah, thirty-seven years, it's like clockwork. Repost of a vanishing three-mast clipper ship out in the bay and every thirty-seven years there's a rash of weirdo dry-land drownings," Sam explained as they walked with their hands in their pockets.

"So, whatever's happening is just getting started," Kim stated.

"Yeah."

"What's the lore?" Dean asked.

"Well, there are apparitions of old wrecks sighted all over the world. The S.S. Violet, the Griffin, the Flying Dutchman – almost all of them are death omens," Sam explained.

"So, you see the ship and then a few hours later, you pucker up and kiss your ass goodbye?" Dean asked sassily.

"Basically," Sam replied, shrugging.

"What's the next step?" Kim asked. "Have we gotta I.D the boat?"

"That shouldn't be too hard. I mean, how many three-mast clipper ships have wrecked off the coast?" Dean laughed.

"I checked that too, actually. Over 150."

"Wow," Kim huffed.

"Yeah," Sam continued.

"Crap," Dean swore as he looked around the empty car spot. The Impala was no longer where they had parked it, an empty lot in its place. Curses erupted from Dean as he marched into the empty lot, spinning in every direction to see if he could find Baby, hoping they had just found the wrong parking spot, but there was no sight of her. Kim watched as Dean paced, his face scrunching with anger.

"This is where we parked the car, right?" Dean asked as Kim and Sam looked around for the Impala. Kim was confused just as Sam was, but Dean quickly became angry. The panic quickly rising in his body, his precious Baby was gone.

"I thought so," Sam replied slowly, confused to where the car was.

"Where's my car?" Dean asked, getting frustrated easily. He ran into the empty car spot, looking around frantically and the frustration was visibly building in him.

"Did you feed the meter?" Sam asked Dean as he panicked in in the car spot, flailing his arms about as he looked. Dean was breathing heavily as he panicked.

"Yes, I fed the meter! Sam, where's my car!" Dean ran angrily from the car spot to the busy street, where people were starting to stare at them, "Somebody stole my car!"

"Clam down," Sam breathed as he walked over to Dean.

"I am calmed down!" Dean yelled. "Somebody stole my car!" Dean screamed into the crowd as the stared at them. Dean's pressure rose to a new level and his heart rate paced rapidly. He bent down and placed his hands on his knees as he beat he'd heavily as he hyperventilated.

"Whoa," Kim ran over to him as he panicked, "Take it easy, we'll get the car back," Kim breathed.

From the distance, the clicking sound of heels on the concrete slide through the bay. It an obnoxious sound that got louder with every step. The confidence radiated off Bela as she strode up to them, a cocky smirk on her face. Kim's lips instantly curled as Bela come into view and the boys sighed, exhausted.

"The 67 Impala? Was that yours?" She sauntered up in her posh British accent.

"Bella," Sam breathed disappointedly.

"I'm sorry, I had that car towed," she smiled politely as Kim licked her teeth.

"You what?!" Dean yelled at her angrily.

"Well, it was in a tow-away zone," Bela replied innocently. Sam breathed out heavily.

"No, it wasn't!" Dean barked.

"It was when I finished with it," Bela smirked as she leaned closer to them. Kim took a deep breath to calm her and bit her tongue from biting back.

"Why are you even here?" Kim sighed saltily. Bela smirked as Kim was visibly annoyed by her presence. After Kim's encounter with Bela last time, she easily got on Kim's nerve. Her selfishness was just as prominent as her stealth. Kim trusted her in no sense of the sort.

"I like yachting," she replied flippantly. Sam nodded in recognition.

"You're Alex," Sam breathed, "you're working with that old lady."

"Gert's an old friend," Bela smirked proudly.

"Yeah, right. What's your angle?" Dean asked loudly.

"There's no angle. There's a lot of lovely old women like Gert up and down the eastern seaboard. I sell them charms, perform séances so they can commune with their dead cats," Bella shrugged.

"And let me guess, it's all a con, non-of it's real," Dean barked,

"The comfort I provide them is very real," Bela ensured. Kim rolled her eyes and Bella noticed. "Problem?" Bela asked cockily, a smirk on her lips.

"Yeah, I have a headache and it just won't go away, I named it Bella," Kim spat.

"How do you sleep at night?" Sam asked sassily.

"On silk sheets, rolling naked in money," she smirked cockily, "Really, Sam. I'd expect the attitude from him, but you?"

"You shot me," Sam sassed at her and Kim culled he lip, remembering the night with the rabbit's foot.

"I barely grazed you," she turned to Dean, "Cute. But a bit of a drama queen, yeah?" Bella asked, regarding Sam for a bit of amusement, but no one was amused.

"You do know what's going on around here. This ghost-ship thing, it is real," Kim spoke down to her like the monster she was.

"I'm aware. Thanks for telling Gert the case wasn't solved, by the way," Bela sighed angrily.

"It isn't," Kim replied casually, for the fact was that it wasn't.

"She didn't know that. Now the old bag's stopped payment and she's demanding some real answers," she sighed. "Look... just stay out of my way before you cause any more trouble. I'd get to that car if I were you... before they find the arsenal in the trunk. Ciao." She turned and left and Kim magically felt her headache float away. Dean and Sam were left with a flat expression as they watched her walk away, enraged.

"Can I shoot her?" Dean seethed as she walked, jaw clenched.

"Not in public," Sam said as he refrained from doing it himself.

•※•

For the rest of the day, Kim has filled with annoyance for Bela. She couldn't get her out of her mind. Everything she did aggravate her instantly, even the most minor things. Not that anything minor happened when Bela was around. It was especially hard to concentrate on the new lead they had found; apparently, a new victim and the brother had seen the ship and the three of them instantly knew what that meant.

The three of them were parked across the road from the victim's house, their head in the back of the Impala as they prepared the weapons for the ghost-ship. Sam and Dean were loading their salt bullets into their shotguns as Kim grabbed her knife.

"It's ghosts, Kim. A knifes not gonna do anything," Dean scoffed as Kim rolled her eyes at him and put her knife in its holster.

"It's an iron knife," Kim huffed, "that's why I take it everywhere."

"I see you got your car back." They heard Bela say from behind them. They all sighed in disappointment and annoyance. Another thing Kim hated about Bela, was that she was everywhere.

"You really want to come near me when I got a loaded gun in my hands?" Dean asked Bela, holding the gun up threateningly.

"Now, now. Mind your blood pressure. Why are you even still here? You have enough to I.D. the boat," Bela stated.

"That guy back there saw the ship," Sam said as if it was obvious.

"Yeah? And?"

"And he's going to die, so we have to save him." They stopped their preparation as they watched Bela's glare turn into an evil smirk.

"How sweet," Bela said sarcastically.

"You think this is funny?" Kim said seriously.

"He's cannon fodder. He can't be saved in time, and you know it," Bela argued.

"Yeah, well, unlike you, we're not gonna sit on our ass and watch someone die," Kim seethed.

"We have souls, so we're gonna try," Dean supported.

"Well, I'm actually going to find the ship and put an end to this. But you have fun," Bela smirked as she turned to leave. The absence of her presence was welcomed, but Dean was having a hard time holding his tongue.

"Hey, Bela, how'd you get like this, huh? What, did daddy not give you enough hugs or something?" Dean sassed angrily. The cockiness of this girl was getting to each of them. Bela turned around angrily, it was obviously a touchy subject.

"I don't know. Your daddy give you enough? Don't you dare look down your nose at me? You're not better than I am," Bela spat.

"We are nothing like you. We help others," Kim sniggered.

"Come on. You do this out of vengeance and obsession. You're a stone's throw from being a serial killer. Whereas I, on the other hand, I get paid to do a job and I do it. So, you tell me – which is healthier?"

"Us," Kim replied with no hesitation or regret.

"Bela, why don't you just leave? We've got work to do," Sam epoxied with a sigh.

"Yeah. You're 0 for 2. Bang-up job so far," Bela smirked as she walked away.

"Same goes for you, that's is if you are helping as much as you say you are?" Kim sassed at Bela as she walked away. Bela looked over he shoulder and sent Kim and glare to which Kim responded with a smirk, just as she had.

•※•

It was nighttime when the three of them were steaming outside of Peter Warrens house, the brother of the victim as they waited for anything suspicious to happen. Sam was doing research on the bothers and Kim and Dean sat around listening to music.

"Anything good?" Dean asked.

"No, not really. I mean, both brothers are Duke University grads. No criminal record. I mean, a few speeding tickets. They inherited their father's real estate fortune six years ago," Sam responded.

"How much?" Kim questioned.

"112 million," Sam replied. Dean whistled at the number.

"Nice life."

"Yeah. I mean, nice, clean, aboveboard. So why did they see the ship? Why Sheila, too? What do they all have in common?" Sam asked and Dean shrugged.

"Maybe nothing," Dean replied.

"No. There's always something," Sam insisted.

"Maybe that they're both rolling in money," Kim scoffed.

"Hey, you!" Peter yelled from inside his grand house gates that protected his large, expensive house.

"I think we've been made." They got out of the car and approach him.

"What are you guys doing?! You watching me?" he asked angrily.

"Sir, calm down. Please," Sam insisted as the walked over to him.

"You guys aren't cops! Not dressed like that. Not – not in that crappy car," Peter insulted. Dean scrunched his nose at the comment.

"Whoa, hey. No need to get nasty," Dean declared, obviously offended.

"Listen, we are cops so cool your jets. We're undercover 'cause we think you may be in danger."

"From who?"

"If you just settle down, we'll talk about it," Sam said walking forward but still keeping a fare distance.

"Look, you guys just stay away from me!" he yelled before running inside his car and driving away, leaving the three of them out in the middle of the road.

"Wait!" Sam called.

"Hey, you moron! We're trying to help you!" Peter about to drive off, but before he could make it out of his grand gates, his car shudders and dies.

"That can't be good."

"No. Get the salt gun." Dean ran back to the Impala and grabbed the guns and Sam helped as Kim took out her knife and jumped the gates, landing hard from the height. She quickly ran to the car to see Peter choking on water as it convulses out of his mouth. Kim looked into the car and saw a man, soaking wet wearing a coat. Kim smashed the window with her elbow and stabbed the ghost as Sam and Dean arrived, just to get a glimpse of the ghost.

Sam rushed to Peter who was lying limp on his stirring wheel, face down and check his pulse. The two of them looked to Sam who sighed in exhaustion. Kim sighed as Dean kicked the car door angrily, unable to save another victim.

•※•

Kim had her fair share of hunts – considering she had been hunting since she was a child – and she knew all hunters have experienced deaths. Deaths of loved ones, deaths of creatures which have been damned to Purgatory and deaths of victims who couldn't be saved. Death was in the job description and there was no avoiding it. With all the deaths a hunter would endure throughout their life, one would think they would be used to the weight of failure. The weight on their shoulders that they couldn't save someone's son or daughter.

The weight never gets lighter. Kim learnt that the hard way.

That's what the three of them were feeling now. A heavyweight on their hearts as they drove down another lonely highway, in the middle of the night. They couldn't save Peter and the weight just got heavier. And Bela's words kept repeating in Kim's mind, an evil smirk on her face as she said: 'I told you so'. And although no one said a word, the radio blared with the sound of the weather report.

Quickly, Dean shuts it off and looked to Sam and Kim through the rearview mirror.

"Do you wanna say it or should I?" Dean sighed.

"Stop it, Dean," Kim replied, looking down from his gaze in the rear-view mirror.

"We can't save everybody," Dean consoled but Kim knew he was trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to convince them. Kim crossed her legs in the back seat and leaned forward, resting her head in her hands.

"Does that make you feel any better?" Kim asked as she closed her eyes, resting them for a second. It was late at night and she still hadn't been able to sleep well. Every now and then, she would rest and sometimes fall asleep, only to flail awake in the middle of the night. This had been going on for months and the bags under her eyes were becoming unrecoverable.

Dean looked to her through the rear view mirror and saw that she was resting her eyes. She normally would never do that and Dean looked to her with a wave of concern but he didn't question her, he knew better.

"No, it doesn't."

"Me either," Sam muttered, a lack of energy coming from him.

"It just seems like we can't save anybody," Kim muttered, mostly to herself but the car was quiet enough to hear her. There was no response - something Kim was extremely grateful for as she rested her head in her hands and the car pulled up to the house they were staying at.

Tiredly, Kim pulled herself out of the car and dragged herself into the house. Kim blinked rapidly to keep her eyes open but they were really heavy. Kim crashed on the couch as she dropped her bag mindlessly, too lazy to go upstairs and find a bed. Kim shut her eyes and blocked out the light of the motel room.

"Kim, take a bed," she heard Dean say from behind her but she only responded with a groan, not bothered to move.

"But stairs," she groaned.

"Come on, Kim," Dean said, tapping her legs to get her up. Kim sighed and sat up, rubbing her eyes and stretching as if she had a full nights sleep. Kim looked up at Dean and sighed, getting up but not moving to the bed. She got up and went to her laptop.

"I'm all good," Kim sighed, opening her laptop and the light radiated on her face causing her to flinch back and rub her eyes again, "I can't fall asleep anyway."

•※•

It was morning and Kim had stayed up most of the night, managing to get a good two hours of sleep before violently thrashing awake. Sweat laced with guilt poured down her head. It had been months since his death and she still couldn't get over the lifeless expression on his face when she found him, cold and dead buried under a pile of ruins. The same face would haunt her when she closed her eyes, or when she saw his contacts on her phone which she refused to delete.

Her fingers traced the pin on her shirt, there were too many people she wanted to see again.

Sam and Dean woke up later in the morning and began to do research. Sam was reading a book and Dean was on his phone when the door rang. Before anyone could say anything, Kim got up and answered it and instantly regretted it, feeling her headache come back.

"Bela," Kim sighed, not bothering to give her a proper welcome, feeling like she didn't deserve it.

"Kim," she responded, pushing past her and bumping her shoulder as she walked in.

"Dear God, are you actually squatting?" Bela scoffed, "So how'd things go last night with Peter?" Bela understood when she didn't get an answer, "That well, huh?"

"If you say 'I told you so', I swear to God I'll start swinging," Dean spat. Kim knew he hated her as much as she did.

"Look, I think the four of us should have a heart to heart," she sighed and Kim scoffed, moving next to Dean.

"That's assuming that you have a heart," Dean scoffed.

"Dean, please... I'm sorry about what I said before, okay? I come bearing gifts," she offered, a small smirk on her face as she held up a small file.

"Such as?" Sam asked, interested in her offer. Kim would be lying if she said she wasn't intrigued. Bela was known for having very helpful and rare items and although the three of them hated her she could have something too good to refuse.

"I've ID'd the ship," they waited for her to go on, "It's the Espirito Santo, a merchant sailing vessel, quite a colourful history. In 1859 a sailor was accused of treason. He was tried aboard a ship in a kangaroo court and hanged. He was 37." Sam, Dean and Kim were flicking through the photos and reports she had in the file as she talked.

"Which would explain the 37-year cycle," Sam muttered.

"Aren't you a sharp tack?" Sam sent her a bitchface as she sighed. "I have a photo of him somewhere... here," she handed Dean another photo from the pile.

"Isn't that the customer we saw last night?"

"You saw him?" Bela asked, shocked.

"Yeah, that's him, except he was missing a hand," Kim nodded.

"His right hand?"

"How'd you know?" Sam asked.

"The sailor's body was cremated, but not before they cut off his hand to make a hand of glory," Bela explained.

"A hand of glory – I think I got one of those at the end of my Thai massage last week." Kim rolled her eyes at Dean. Sam and Bela sent him a look.

"Dean, the right hand of a hanged man is a serious cult object and is very powerful," Sam explained as Kim shook her head at Dean, a single smile on her face.

"So they say," Bela continued.

"And officially counts as remains," Dean stated, talking about the hand.

"But still, none of this explains why the ghost is choosing these victims," Sam sighed

"I'll tell you why, who cares. Find the hand, burn it and stop the bloody thing," Bela spat in her usual selfish nature.

"Okay, that's great and all but why are you telling us this? What do you want?" Kim asked suspiciously.

"Because I know exactly where the hand is," Bela smirked.

"Where?" Dean asked eagerly.

"At the Sea Pines Museum. It's a carp bit of maritime history. But I need help," Bela continued. Kim sent a look to Dean who sent one back, not sure if they wanted to know. Kim licked her teeth. Never would she willingly work with Bela if she had her way but if it was going to help close the case, she felt like she had to oblige. Whatever gets the job done. Sam and Dean felt the same, actually surprised that the cunning and manipulative Bela had come for their help.

Kim sighed a looked from Dean to Bela slowly. Bela waited for them to say something, hoping she would get ether help. Kim knew she needed them, otherwise, she wouldn't have asked. If there was a way to do it alone – be it harder or not – she'll do it, Kim and Bela were similar like that. Never would they ask for help unless they needed it but Kim would refuse any connection with her in any way, as would Bela.

Kim looked Bela up and down as she looked back. Kim squinted her eyes at her, suspiciously, "What kind of help?"


	25. Chapter Twenty-Three

Kim sat on a large couch in the back of the house as she put on a cream pair of heels. She sighed to herself as she slipped them on with ease, they fit perfectly. It almost annoyed her that they did, she didn't really know why but the fact that they were perfectly fitted to her feet made her eerily annoyed.

She leaned back on the couch in her habitually hunter way, her legs slightly spread in an unladylike fashion, her iron knife in its holster strapped to her inner thigh. The dress was too tight to hide any other weapons.

The museum was holding a fancy party to parade all their antiques and historical objects which Bela explained: "You can't wear jeans and a leather jacket too." So she was forced to wear a long black, strapless dress that was tight until it started to frill out from below her backside. She had no idea how she was going to hunt in it but it hid her knife well and it was the only dress the rentals had such small notice. Kim instantly knew why it wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world.

Kim sighed as she struggled to get out of her sitting position, the dress obstructing her legs. She got up and walked to the mirror one last time and check if she looked presentable enough to blend in with a bunch of posh, rich people. She managed to add eyeliner and finished with a tad of mascara but she had nothing else to complete the look; only a plain necklace with a small gem as the pendant. She just had to work with what she had. She flipped her hair over to a side part, much different from her usual ponytail where her hair was out of her face and straightened out her dress as it bunched up around her hips. As she looked in the mirror she had a sudden urge to grab her leather jacket and pull it over her shoulders just to hide herself a bit more, but it was strictly 'no leather jackets'.

Huffing, she tore herself away from the mirror not really acting as pristine as she looked, as long as it was enough to blend in. She walked out of the room in the back, checking if her knife was still there. She could feel it rub against her thigh as she walked. She took a few small steps, still getting used to the heels she wore as she marched down the long hallway into the living room where she found Dean and Bela waiting for her.

"You know, when this is over, we should really have angry sex," Kim heard Bela as she walked down the long hall.

"Don't objectify me," Dean huffed on the stairs.

"Oh god, make sure I'm not in the state when you do it," Kim walked into the room slowly, the soft yet intimidating sound of her heels clicked after her as she came into view, emerging from the darkness of the hallway. The candlelight shone around the room and landed on Kim.

The sweet, orange light made her glow as she entered the room and caused the necklace that dangled on her chest to shine dimly. Her posture emitted grace as she emerged singly in the room, but that all changed when she stopped walking. She slouched slightly, leaning on one leg. She looked up at Dean as she walked into the room as her eyes flickered to Bela and back.

Kim had seen Dean in a suit many times when they impersonated an officer. A white shirt tucked in with a brown blazer jacket that accentuated his broad shoulders. It was a common sight for her but this was different. Dean wore a black tuxedo with a crisp white shirt that was accentuated by a black bow-tie. He looked darkly handsome, a dominating aura radiated off of him as he looked down on Kim. She would be lying to herself if she said he wasn't attractive.

Dean had never seen Kim in a dress before, only jeans and jackets, maybe a skirt if he was observant enough to notice it. He always was. She was stunning as the candlelit room glowed upon her. The sparkle of her necklace danced around the room and the way her hair fell over her shoulder was effortlessly perfect. But nothing compared to the way the dress hugged her usually hidden hips and waist and the shine that illuminated from her sweet brown eyes. All of these were things Kim never saw in the mirror but things Dean noticed straight away, but her exterior doesn't change the fact that she will always be the barbaric badass she always was, even in a dress.

"What?" Kim asked with a huff as she shrugged and let her hands lazily flop back to their sides. Bela rolled her eyes at her unladylike manner but Kim never cared enough about Bela to acknowledge her eye-rolls. Dean was taken out of his trance with her words, but he didn't dare take an eye off of her. She hadn't noticed his eyes glance her up and down in awe.

"Uh, nice dress," he replied as Kim huffed irritated.

"Yeah, well this nice dress is gonna end up in a ripped heap once I'm finished with it. I can barely breathe in this thing let alone hunt," she replied as Dean smirked, twisting her words to match his dirty mind. Kim rolled her eyes at him as he smirked at her. "Yeah, I heard it the second it came out of my mouth."

"Let's go," Dean said, the first to exit the house, Kim and Bela soon after him. They followed him into the Impala and Kim had found her way to the front seat, calling shotgun as they walked. Sam was already there with his date, Gert. He had argued to go with Kim and Kim surely didn't mind, but he needed to attend with Gert under her request I since she was the one that welcomed them to the party in the first place.

•※•

The three of them pulled up in the Impala and walked up into the huge museum, where grand music was being played and men in suits were there to greet people at the door. Dean and Kim had never been to anything this fancy before and they both felt a little out of place as they entered, but Dean took advantage of the luxuries. Bela handed the Maitre'd her invitation which he approved and they began to walk into the celebration. Bells had her arm linked with Dean as Kim stumbled behind the, still getting used to the heels.

"Are you chewing gum?" Bela asked, slightly disgusted as she looked over to Dean. Kim looked over at him and laughed slightly. "Try to behave as if you've lived this life before, yeah?" Dean shrugged and pulled the gum out of his mouth and stuck it under the welcoming silver champagne fountain.

As they entered, Kim looked over to Sam as he stood awkwardly with Gert as she leaned forward into him, he leaned back. When their gaze met, Sam quickly excused himself from their conversation and shuffled over to them as they sat at the bar.

"Exactly how long do you expect me to entertain my date?" Sam asked, slightly annoyed.

"As long as it takes," Bela replied.

"I'll come a save you if I can," Kim comforted. Sam sent her a small smile as he also looked over Kim but not as noticeably as Dean did.

"Look, there's security all over this place, alright. This is an uncrashable party without Gert's invitation, so..." Dean reminded.

"We can crash anything, Dean," Sam said with a sense of confidence.

"Yeah, I know, but this is easier and it's a lot more entertaining," Dean smirked.

"You know there are limits to what I'll do, right?" Sam growled.

"Oh, he's playing hard to get, that's cute. Come on," Dean smirked, "I want all the details in the morning!" Just a Dean, Bela and Kim had got their drinks and were about to walk off, Gert had appeared from the crowd and wrapped her arm around Sam's waist with no restraint of hiding her flirtations.

"I was getting lonely," she cooed at Sam as he looked down on her with a disgusted smile, trying to pull himself from he grasp but she held him firmly, a wrinkly smirk on her face. Dean, Bela and Kim held a smile as they watched him shuffle uncomfortably, "Oh, Alex, I have someone who would like to meet you," Gert said to Bela as an older man walked up to her and grabbed her hand and kissed it. Sam and Bela had an equally disgusted expression on their face, "He wants to talk about a... business exchange,"

Kim chocked back a laugh at the horrified expression on her face as she was pulled from the group by Dean's firm grasp.

"Let's get the job done before Bela finishes her business exchange and get outta here," Dean whispered in Kim's ear. She could feel his hot breath on her cold neck as he spoke. The two of them made their way to the next room as they settled their champagne on a stand at the bottom of the staircase.

"There's security at every door," Kim whispered to him as they looked around.

"Yeah, I don't think we're just gonna be able to waltz upstairs," he said back, "Look at the way they're standing, they're pros. Probably state troopers in mood lighting."

"Well, any ideas?" Kim asked as Dean shook his head.

"You could flirt with them, distract them maybe," Dean suggested, although it didn't sound like he liked that idea and regretted it the second the words left his mouth. Kim shook her head slowly after considering it.

"No, there's literally four of them in this room alone," Kim huffed. Quickly, she looked up at him with a sense of clarity, "Play along," she waited for Dean to look at her for some recognition before she collapsed to the floor and suddenly she felt a strong grasp around her waist that saved her from crashing.

"Honey, honey, are you alright? Waiter, my wife has a severe shellfish allergy. There's no crab in that?" Dean asked as the young waiter rushed up to him named bent down, looking at the 'couple' worriedly.

"No sir," Dean reached out and grabbed a fish cake from the waiters silver platter and quickly shoved it into his mouth.

"They're excellent, by the way," As Kim laid in Dean's arms, a guard walked up to them.

"What seems to be the trouble?" Dean looked up at the guard as he straightened his posture, looking down on them.

"Ahhh, champagne, my wife, she's a lightweight when it comes to the sauce. Is there somewhere I can lay her down till she gets her sea legs back?" Dean asked as the guard looked so rude to see if she should take them upstairs.

"Follow me," The guard smiled as he marched them upstairs.

"Right. Thank you," Dean lifted Kim and a cried her bridal style as he followed him. The guard showed them to their room and Dean placed Kim gently on the couch.

"Thank you very much," he smiled as the guard showed himself out. When the door shut Kim sat up and looked at Dean.

"Thanks for catching me," she smirked as she stood up, straightening out her dress as Dean watched her from a small distance. "Now, it's in room 235 in a locked glass case wired for alarm."

"How'd you know?" Dean asked.

"I looked through the part of the file she didn't show us when she wasn't lookin'," Kim smirked as Dean rose an eyebrow, "I can be mischievous," she smirked wickedly as Dean laughed along, "Let's go," Kim picked herself off and headed towards the door, only to be stopped by Dean's hand.

"Stay, okay. Just in case the guard comes back," before Kim could answer, Dean was already out the door. Kim was about to follow him but the door slammed in her face and she growled in frustration. Rubbing her nose, she huffed and plonked herself on the couch and waited for Dean to be down. She hated waiting, especially when she could be helping.

Groaning, she fiddled with her dress with a blank stare of boredom. The material slipped through her fingers as she played with it. She wanted to get up and go after him, considering she knew where he was and she gave him the information but she knew he was right, she needed to say back just in case the guard came back.

Kim fluffed around the room, looking at the objects on the desk and playing with her knife she hid in her dress. She twirled it around her fingers. Her eyes danced mindless sound in the room when there was a knock on the door. Kim's head snapped in the direction of the noise.

"Sir? Ma'am? Everything alright?" The guard called from outside the door, waiting for someone to answer. Kim looked around furiously, knowing she had to answer otherwise he'd walk in and see Dean was missing. Quickly, thinking on her feet, she quickly took off her heels and messed up her hair, smudging her eyeshadow a bit. She ran to the door. She had a wide smile on her face that could never be trusted, it was always a lie.

She opened the door slightly, just enough to stick her shoulder and head out to make sure he couldn't see into the room. She smirked furiously at him as he shockingly took in her sloppy appearance and drunken behaviour. She smiled and flipped her hair as the guard looked at her in utter surprise.

"Do you have your invitation?" she asked with a childish smile on her face as she played drunk, her heels in her hand. The guard looked at her with a sudden confused look but before she could answer she turned her head around to face the empty room, "Shh! He hasn't answered yet!" Kim laughed. She turned back to the guard who swallowed, undoubtedly insecure about the situation as she waited with a bright smile for his answer. He wasn't trained for this.

"No..." he answered slowly as Kim rose her eyebrows in fake shock.

"You don't!" her cheery expression suddenly changed, "Well, you can't come in," with that, Kim slammed the door in the guard's face and turned around sharply, cringing as she listened for descending footsteps. She hoped he would turn around and walk away without a second thought. As the door slammed closed, she cringed to herself in embarrassment, thankful that Dean wasn't in the room. When she head his footsteps depart from the hallway, she sighed and face-palmed herself as she stayed still in a cringing position. She sighed. She felt utterly stupid, playing a drunken girl but she had no other ideas and it wasn't long until she had to reminded herself that she was a professional hunter.

Soon after, Dean entered the room and took the hand out of his pocket before wrapping it in his pocket handkerchief before putting it back in his inside blazer pocket. Kim swallowed with disgust and curled her lip as she watched Dean put the wrinkly, rotten hand in his pocket.

"That... is the hand of glory?" Kim cringed. Dean scoffed as he put it in his pocket.

"Yeah," the two of them slowly walked out of the room, nonchalantly, their arms linked as Kim wobbled down the stairs with her heels.

"Be careful, she's sneaky," Kim reminded, gesturing to the hand of glory in his pocket. Her warning was less of an actual warning but a distraction from her heel wobbling beneath her. Dean nodded, not paying much attention as he watched Kim tremble. She took another shaky step. "These heels are gonna be the death of me," Kim muttered to herself, feeling the slim heel quiver unstably. She knew something was going to go wrong. Kim took the stairs one step at a time, Dean's arm still linked with hers.

She felt herself slip even before she fell. She stumbled forward, her heel wobbling under her. She looked at the continuous effort stairs in front of her. She was crashing down at an alarming rate. A long arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her upwards as she felt gravity take over. She was pulled up towards a hard chest as Kim tried to balance her feet on the ground. She sighed, feeling her ankle wobble in the heel. She groaned and looked up at Dean, his arms still strongly wrapped around her, Dean rose a cheeky eyebrow and Kim scoffed playfully. "I don't do heels,"

Dean smiled and held her as they made their way down the stairs, slowly. Kim safely made her landing on flat ground, stabling her feet as Dean slowly unwrapped his arm from her waist.

"Thanks," Kim thanked softly. Dean nodded and they walked into the party room. Sam was awkwardly dancing with Gert, keeping as much distance he could as Bela was slumped over the bar, listening to an old man jabber away about God knows what.

Dean and Kim walked up to Sam and Gert as Bela excused herself and walked over to them. Bella stood on the other side of Dean, leaning closer to him and whispering in his ear.

"Did you get it?" she whispered softly. Dean turned to her and nodded. She turned to Gert with a smile, "Well, having a nice time?" Bela asked, escaping for her previous conversation.

"He's delightful... he wants me!" Gert whispered in Bela's ear but loud enough for the four of them to hear as Sam, Dean and Kim cringed.

"I'm going to get Gert into a cold shower. See you at the cemetery," Bela smirked, leading Gert away. The three of them nodded

"Great idea," Sam encouraged as they left the room.

"You stink like sex." Sam sent Dean and flat look, which Dean and Kim responded with a smirk as they made their way to the Impala, Sam sighing in relief. They ducked into the car and Kim shuffled comfortably in her spot in the back seat, taking off her heel and sighing in relief.

"You got it right? Tell me I didn't get groped all night by Mrs Havisham for nothing," Sam grunted, undoing his bow tie.

"I got it..." Dean stopped himself and looked at Sam, " Mrs Who?" Dean asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Never mind, just let me see it." Dean reached into his pocket to grab the hand that was still covered in his handkerchief. He pulled it out and looked at the odd shape in utter shock as he began to furiously unwrap it, "What?" Sam asked. Dean pulled out a glass bottle with a little ship in it out of his handkerchief. Kim looked over his shoulder to form the back seat and her facial expression flattened, as did Sam and Dean's. Dean took a deep breath,

"I'm gonna kill her."

•※•

The three of made their way back to the house, having no reason to go to the cemetery anymore. A tense feeling ran through the air of the car caused by the visible frustration that radiated from the three of them, and although they tried to ignore it, the ride back was filled with angry murmurs from Dean and low, approving grunts from Kim.

The second they entered the house, Kim chucked her heels aside and reached over her shoulder to unzip her dress, as eager to take it off as the heels, but she couldn't reach, her fingertips dancing over the tip of the zip. She stretched her arm over her shoulder as much as she could, her forearm aching as she stretched. She grunted as she reached but she fingertips only gazed over the zip, unable to push it down. Kim shuffled as she reached, quickly retracting her hand when she felt another hand reach for her zip. She felt it glide down her back, her muscles relaxing with freedom. Her hands lifted and pressed her dress to her chest so it wouldn't fall to her feet. When the zipper had reached the bottom, she turned and saw Sam standing over her with a shy smile.

"You looked like you were struggling," Sam smiled slightly.

"Thanks," she smiled, her lips falling to a soft smile.

Kim went to the room as the boys went to theirs, and quickly undressed getting out of their fancy clothes and back into their run of the mill hunters clothes. Kim shuffled into her jeans and flannels as did the boys as they returned to the main room. They sat in the house that was lite with candlelight as the frustration continued to rise in the silence.

"You know what, you're right. I'm not gonna kill her. I think slow torture is the way to go," Dean spat.

"Dean, look, you gotta relax," Sam paused, looking at Dean.

"Relax, oh yeah, yeah, I'll relax," he grunted. "I can't believe she got another one over on us!"

"You and Kim."

"What?" Dean asked, slowly turning to Sam, as if daring him to say it again.

"I...I mean she got one over on you and Kim, not us," he gestures to himself. Kim and Dean stared at Sam with a blank expression.

"Thank you, Sam. Very helpful." Sam looked down uncomfortable. Kim got up from her position and started walking around the room, trying to think of another way to stop the ghost ship. She thought about it as the boys jabbered about something she wasn't interested in when there was an anxious knocking on the door.

"Hello! Could you open up?" Bela's muffled voice was heard from inside as she stood outside, in the shadowy light of the night. Dean opened the door and Sam and Kim rushed over to him, Sam looking over Dean's shoulder and Kim looking under, "Just let me explain... I sold it, I've had a buyer lined up since I knew it existed."

They hesitantly let her in, Kim eyes watching her as she stalked over to the chair and sat down, the three of the looming over her. Dean was right in her face, leaning down intimidatingly. Bela seemed flustered, but she kept her cool like always. Dean looked over at Kim with a raised eyebrow before getting out of her face and walking behind her, shaping his fingers like a gun and aiming it at her, shooting.

"So the whole reason for us going to the Charity Ball was?" Sam asked, dragging it out.

"I needed a cover," she said honestly, "You were convenient," she looked for Sam to Kim, "I didn't really need Kim, in fact, she almost ruined my plans," Bela scowled at her as Kim smirked,

"Glad I could help," Kim smirked back,

"But you do live up to your reputation, 'get's the job done'," Bela added in a way that was so far from a compliment it was insulting.

"I'm not the one barging in and asking for help, two times now, I presume," Kim smirked at Bela, knowing she hated asking for help as much as Kim did. Sam shook his heads at the two of them as they argued like children.

"Look, you sold it to a buyer, just go buy it back," Sam shrugged as if it was nothing.

"It's halfway across the ocean. I can't get it back in time," Bela sighed obnoxiously.

"In time for what?" Dean asked instantly,

"What's going on with you, Bela?" Sam asked seriously, as Dean was more joking. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I saw the ship," Bela fretted,

"You what?" Dean asked raising an eyebrow,

"Now, that makes sense," Kim scoffed as Sam sent her a look. Dean smirked and looked down on Bela as if she was no longer superior.

"Wow, you know, I knew you were an immoral thieving con artist bitch but just when I thought my opinion of you couldn't get any lower –"

"What are you talking about?" Bela asked,

"We figured out the spirit's motive," Sam said, showing Bela a photo of a different man standing on the ship in an old-fashioned captains outfit. "This is the captain of our ship. The one who hung our ghost boy."

"So?"

"So they were brothers. Very Cain and Abel. So now our spirit, he's going after a very specific kind of target – people who've spilled their own family's blood. See first there was Shelia who killed her cousin in a car accident, and the Warren brothers, who murdered their father for the inheritance, and now you," Sam sighed in a powerfully knowing way.

"My God," Bela gasped slightly, a dominating smirk on Kim's face. She felt like she had finally got something over her. Bela was losing her power and her independent vibe was crushed beneath her. Kim could feel Bela crumbling as she saw the ghastly expression on her face. Kim wasn't the type to enjoy innocent people suffer, but Bela wasn't very innocent and Kim would be lying if she said she didn't feel satisfied seeing her once superior cockiness dwindle to nothing, essentially begging for help.

Kim's facial expression dropped when a sudden, haunting feeling rose from the pits of her stomach. She would also be lying she said she didn't feel a bit anxious, after all, Bela and Kim weren't so different.

"So who was it, Bela? Hmmm? Who'd you kill? Was it daddy? Little sis, maybe?" Kim shuffled uncomfortably at his words; no one noticed.

"It's none of your business," Bela spat.

"No, you're right. Well, have a nice life – you know, whatever's left of it. Sam, Kim, let's go," Dean said, walking over to his coat, picking it up and placing it over his arm.

"You can't just leave me here," Bela snarled.

"Watch us," Dean spat.

"Please, I need your help."

"You said that last time," Kim reminded, eyeing her angrily.

"Our help? Now how could a couple of serial killers possibly help you?" Dean sassed.

"Okay, that was a bit harsh, I admit it, but it doesn't warrant a death sentence," Bela insisted in a dominant tone, one she couldn't afford.

"That's not why you're gonna die. What did you do, Bela?" Sam asked quickly.

"You wouldn't understand, no one did. Never mind, I'll just do what I've always done, I'll deal with it myself," Bela scoffed standing up, ready to leave. Kim knew that Bela had no other option but for them, but she was so willing to watch her walk out the door without another word.

"You do realise you just sold the one thing that could save your life," Dean scoffed.

"I'm aware," Bela continued.

"But, maybe not the only thing," Sam replied, stopping Bela from walking out the door. The three of them turned to Sam with raised eyebrows.

•※•

The four of them were at the cold, eerie cemetery at night as Sam set up a sacrificial pentagram with five candles at the five-star points. Kim and Dean stood beside Bela, just in case the ghost appeared.

"Do you really think this is going to work?" Bela asked Dean, ignoring Kim's presence as she stood casually, she arms folded over her chest.

"Almost definitely not," Dean assured sarcastically, as an angry storm started over their head and a bucket of rain fell from the heavens.

"Sammy, you better start reading," Dean nodded to Sam and Kim got out of her casual stance and pulled out her knife, swirling it between her fingers before holding it tightly. Sam nodded to his brother and started reading a book.

"Aziel, Castiel, Lamisniel, Rabam..." he continued with assorted Latin.

"Stay close!" Dean told Bela as she began to wonder nervously.

"Behind you!" Bela shouted to Dean. He turned around and saw the ghost that automatically sent him flying towards a grave. Dean groaned and shot his gun, completely missing the ghost. Kim turned around and charged at the ghost, but didn't get the chance to stab him before she was flying across the cemetery, just as Dean did. The ghost fought Bela on her cheek as she stood defenceless, unable to con her way out of a real hunt. Kim shuffled up and scuttled towards Bela as she choked up tons of water.

"Sammy, read faster!" Dean yelled as Kim bent down and huddled over Bela, unable to do anything, Dean fastly approaching. Suddenly, Kim saw a ghost appear before the other ghost wearing an old captain's uniform and looked at his brother wearily.

"You... hanged me," the ghost spat through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry."

"Your own brother," he cried.

"I'm so sorry," the Captain said, looking to his brother in a fit of sorrow. The angry ghost charged at his brother, a cry of pain and anger sounded through the air as the two of the disappeared in a burst of water.

The four of them looked at each other as Bela stopped choking on water and began weeping.

•※•

The three of them were at the house, packing, ready to leave. Kim shoved her laptop in her bag and swung it over her shoulder, ready to go.

"You boys should learn to lock your doors. Anyone could just barge in," Bela announced, her usual cocky smile on her face as she barged into the house and towards them.

"Anyone just did. Have you come to say goodbye or thank you?" Sam asked.

"I've come to settle affairs. Giving the spirit what he really wanted, his own brother – very clever, Sam. So here." Bela reached into her bag and pulled out three wads of cash and chucked them toward the three of them, one for each. "It's fifteen thousand – that should cover it." Kim rose an eyebrow at Bela. "I don't like being in anyone's debt."

"So ponying up fifteen grand is easier for you than a simple thank you? You are so damaged," Dean shook his head but gladly took the money.

"Takes on to know one," Bela smirked, moving her gaze to Kim as if acknowledging her. Kim scoffed slightly and glared back. Bela stood up straight and turned to Kim. "For a teenager, you're not that bad," Bela nodded in acknowledgement, turning around before Kim could comment. "Goodbye lads," she said twirled in her elegant way and strutted her way out, not looking back.

"She's got style, you gotta give her that," Sam acknowledged.

"I suppose," Dean nodded me taking the money.

"You know, Dean, we don't know where this money's been."

"No, but I know where it's going..." Dean laughed as she took Kim and Sam's money and putting it safely in his bag before they swung their bags over their shoulder and walked to this Impala.

Later on, they were driving in the Impala in the early stages of the morning. Kim leaned back in her seat and folded her arms across her chest comfortably, resting he heavy head on her shoulder. She hadn't got a good nights sleep for a while, nor a healthy sized meal but she was slowly getting better, her tired eyes – after months of fighting – had finally become too heavy to keep open and her stomach too sore to refuse.

Sam sat in the front seat, looking at a large, unfolded paper map.

"Seriously, Atlantic City?" Sam asked Dean who had a childish smile on his face, looking forward to throwing away his money on gambling.

"Hell yeah, play some roulette. Always bet on black," Dean responded, his smirk flattered to a line. "Hey listen, I've been doing some thinking. Um, I want you to know I understand why you did it. I understand why you went after the crossroads demon," Sam sighed, "And if the situation was reversed I guess I'd done the same thing. I mean I'm not blind, I see what you're going through with this whole deal, me going away and all that. But you're gonna be okay."

"You think so," It wasn't a question, more of a frustrated statement,

"Yeah, you'll keep hunting, y'know, you live your life. You're stronger than me, you are," Sam clears his throat, "you are... you'll get over it." Dean priced his lips, "And Kim, you're still a teenager, you can do anything. Stay with Sam and hunt – you're good enough to survive. Go live your life, start a family. Only God knows why you were damned to come with us," Kim stayed silent, Dean wasn't looking for a response, "But I want you to know I'm sorry, I'm sorry for... putting you through all this, I am."

"You know what, Dean, go screw yourself," Sam spat,

"What?" Dean asked, a bit shocked.

"I don't want an apology from you – and by the way, I'm a big boy now, I can take care of myself," Sam argued, turning to his brother frustratedly.

"Oh, well, excuse me," Dean murmured as Kim listened quietly from the back.

"So will you please quit worrying about me? I mean that's the whole problem in the first place. I don't want you to worry about me, Dean, I want you to worry about you. I want you to give a crap that you're dying!" Dean said nothing, "So, what, that's it? Nothing else to say for you?" Dean pursed his lips as in little thought, not responding. He only looked straight ahead, out towards the empty road. It always seemed to be lonely whenever they were out, people just seemed to flock away from them.

Dean perched his lips in slight though before responding, "I think maybe I'll play craps."


	26. Chapter Twenty-Four

It was a long drive to Atlantic City but Dean was set on going, so the two of them put up with the numb legs and greasy food. Dean was really dragging out his dying wishes, making them as long lasting as possible and as outrages as Sam would stretch, but to Sam, there really was no limit considering his brother was going to Hell.

They spent a week there, hopping through bars and relaxing, having fun. Sam didn't really relax or have fun, he was too busy sneaking around Dean, trying to find a cure. Kim helped – she helped all she could, especially since she was the fool who let him slip and sell his soul. She helped Sam and he excepted it, he could see the dwindle of lost hope in her eyes – he just didn't know it had been there for many years.

Dean got drunk, flirted, had sex and partied in the time they spent in Atlantic City and when Kim wasn't helping Sam, she was acting civil in the bar of Dean's choosing. She watched for the back, leaning against the wall, non-alcoholic drink in her hand as Dean skilled his shots and danced with women. Although Dean was drunk and Kim was sneaky, he still managed to make sure Kim was stuck with a non-alcoholic drink.

She scoffed as she sipped her coke, silently wishing she was back with Sam instead of watching Dean have fun. He would sneak glances at her every now and again. Sometimes she was alone, other times she had a friend with her; usually, a man with a beer in his hand who would help her get a drink for herself

After the week at Atlantic City was over, they went about their business and found a vampire case where a male vampire was turning women into vampires against their will, for a few weeks. It's was a routine hunt, but Kim's hatred for vampires raged internally as she chopped off as many heads as she could, watching with mild satisfaction as they rolled away, leaving a trail of blood. Her strikes were fast, strong and merciless – just as her sister had taught her to be. Dean and Sam were slightly shocked at her outraging attack but when they confronted her about it, she shook it off saying, "It gets the job done," in her usual monotone.

It seemed like time was just flying by, and if Kim's calculations were correct, she would have been hunting with the Winchesters for a year and four months that December, meaning Christmas was just around the corner.

The three of them found themselves in Ypsilanti Michigan – just before Christmas – investigating a missing person case, but Kim didn't mind, hunters never really celebrated Christmas, anyway. She never even realise it was so close. Christmas didn't really mean much to her anymore except that she needed to call Ellen before she got an ass-woopin'.

Kim and Dean stood outside a little family house as a little girl looked out of the glass door as they interviewed her mom, Sam walked through the house, trying to find something.

"Um, my daughter and I were in our beds. Mike was downstairs decorating the tree. I heard a thump on the roof and then I heard Mike scream, and now I'm talking to the FBI," the woman grieved, the loss of her husband being investigated.

"And you didn't see any of it?" Dean asked easing an eyebrow,

"No, he was... he was just gone," the woman replied

"The doors were locked? There was no forced entry?" Dean questioned.

"That's right."

"Does anybody else have a key?" As Dean asked questions, Kim stood there looking alright, shuffling on her feet. Normally she would be right by Sam, investigating around the house or doing some research, she wasn't sure why she stood by Dean.

"My parents," the woman replied.

"Where do they live?" Dean asked.

"Florida." Sam walked up beside them as the conversation came to an end, his hands in his pockets and a sad smile on his lips to comfort the mother.

"Thanks for letting me have a look around, Mrs Walsh. I think we, uh, got just about everything we need. We're all set," Sam smiled, putting his cold hands in his pockets, smiling down at the distressed woman with sympathy

"We'll be in touch." Mrs Walsh nods. Kim gave her a small nod and walked off with the boys.

"Agents..." she called to them and they turned around to meet Mrs Welsh's gaze.

"The police said my husband might have been kidnapped," Mrs Welsh muttered,

"Could be," Kim nodded slowly.

"Then why haven't the kidnappers called? O-or – or demanded a ransom? It's three days till Christmas. What am I supposed to tell our daughter?" she cried, a soft and meek voice escaping her lips, making sure her daughter didn't hear.

"We're very sorry," Kim replied sympathetically. Mrs Welsh nodded sadly and turned around went back inside. The three of them started walking away from the house and towards the Impala.

"Ya get anything?" Kim asked Sam as he sighed.

"Stocking, mistletoe... this," he gives Kim something that was in his pocket. Kim took it in her hands and looked at it with slight disgust.

"A tooth? Where was this?" Kim asked as Dean looked into Kim's hand and examines the tooth.

"In the chimney," Sam replied.

"Chimney? No way a man fits up a chimney. It's too narrow," Dean scoffed.

"No way he'll fit up. In one piece, anyway," Kim continued.

"Alright, so, if dad went up the chimney–"

"We need to find out what dragged him up there," Sam nodded, finishing Dean's sentence.

•※•

Sam and Kim sat in their shared motel room, pictures of demons hung up messily on the wall, strings lining them to each other. Sam searched the web for any information he could muster about demons and who hold the deal as Kim shuffled through massive books with hardcovers with delicate decorations over it. It was silent as they researched.

Dean walked through the room the moment Kim huffed and shut the cover of the text, making a loud sound as it closed; a cloud of dust erupted from the pages as it shut. Kim looked up as he walked in carrying a brown paper bag; she watched as he threw it on the dusty kitchen counter.

"So, was I right? Is it the serial-killing chimney sweep?" Dean asked, moving over to them.

"Yep. It's, uh, it's actually Dick Van Dyke," Sam huffed.

"Who?" Dean asked, slightly confused. Kim smirked in realisation as the mentioning of that character lingered through the air.

"That's the book I want to read next," she said, mostly to herself before opening and looking back at the book.

"Mary Poppins," Sam said, hoping to trigger Deans memory.

"Who's that?" Dean a sled, still confused.

"Oh come on— never mind," he waved his hands, shooing the conversation.

"It turns out that Walsh is the second guy in town grabbed out of his house this month," Dean announced,

"Oh yeah?" Sam asked.

"Yeah,"

"The other guy get dragged up the chimney, too?" Kim asked, looking up.

"Don't know. Witnesses said they heard a thump on the roof." Dean nodded and walked over to Sam, leaning over his shoulder to look at his laptop, "So, what the hell do you think we're dealing with?"

"Actually, I have an idea," Sam nodded, looking at Dean as Kim sighed irritatedly and shut the heavy book.

"Well, thanks for telling me," she scoffed sarcastically causing Sam huffed a half-hearted apology, but it wasn't necessary.

"Yeah?"

"Uh, it's gonna sound crazy," Sam predicted as Kim and Dean listened closely, Dean moving over to Sam.

"What could you possibly say that sounds crazy to us?"

"Um... evil Santa," Sam smiled awkwardly. There was a silence as Kim and Dean just looked at him. Dean nodded once and shook his head.

"Yeah, that's crazy."

"Yeah... I mean, I'm just saying that there's some version of the anti-Claus in every culture," he turned a piece of paper to face Kim and Sam, showing them a picture of some evil Santa, "You got Belsnickel, Krampus, Black Peter." Dean took the pictures from Sam. "Whatever you want to call it, there's all sorts of lore."

"Saying what?"

"Saying back in the day, Santa's brother went rogue and now he shows up around Christmas time, but instead of bringing presents, he punishes the wicked."

"By hauling their ass up chimneys?" Dean asked.

"For starters, yeah,"

"So, this is your theory, huh? Santa's shady brother?" Dean huffed.

"Well, I'm just saying that's what the lore says,"

"Santa doesn't have a brother. There is no Santa," Dean continued.

"Yeah, I know. You're the one who told me that in the first place, remember," Sam replied and Kim cringed slightly. Kim looked at Dean, who looked down, then sighed "Yeah, you know what, I could be wrong," Sam sighed as Dean nodded, thinking it was total rubbish.

"Maybe, maybe not," Kim said casually, leaning on the huge book.

"What?" Dean huffed, turning to Kim.

"Well, while you were researching lore, I did some research about Mr Welsh. Turns out he was at some Christmas place before he died," Kim looked to Dean.

"Yeah, so was the other victim," Dean nodded, looking at Kim.

"Where?" Sam asked them.

•※•

The three of them stood outside in the dirt, looking into a small Santa's Village. Christmas music played. children were playing, and people were wearing Christmas costumes are walking around, admiring the Christmas decor.

"It does kind of lend credence to the theory, don't it?" Dean asked them.

"Yeah, but anti-Claus? Couldn't be," Sam admitted.

"It's a Christmas miracle. Hey, speaking of, we should have one this year," Dean nodded, looking forward.

"Have one what?" Sam asked.

"A Christmas," Dean replied as Sam scoffed.

"No, thanks," Sam huffed, Kim wasn't very fond of the idea either.

"No, we'll get a tree, a little Boston market, just like when we were little," Dean said before looking to Kim. "You're gonna love it,"

"Dean, those weren't exactly Hallmark memories for me, you know," Sam announced.

"What are you talking about? We had some great Christmases," Dean corrected but Sam obviously had a different image in his mind. Dean always took what he could get, be a little crappy Christmas tree with dollar decoration while Sam just wanted to be normal. Have Christmas in a house with his family instead of a motel room with his father absent.

Kim didn't remember much about the good Christmas's. The ones where her family was alive and they lived in a big house with a fireplace and a Christmas tree. Sarah would share her Christmas memories with Kim when they were alone together on Christmas. Tell her how cute she was as a toddler, how happy she was when she got her presents. Sarah would tell her about the tradition Kim created where she would help their mom make cookies for Santa and how every year she would spill the milk all over the counter. Apparently, it was Kim's favourite part, making the cookies because she would always get to eat one before bed.

Kim thought that was the saddest part of Christmas, that there was a time she was happy with her whole family and she didn't remember it.

"Whose childhood are you talking about?" Sam scoffed.

"Oh, come on, Sam," Dean murmured.

"No, just... no," Sam said firmly.

"All right, Grinch." Dean walked away while Sam stood still, Kim right beside him, a blankly sad expression on her face. She stared ahead, feeling his eyes on the side of her face but she didn't dare look; Sam looked like he needed to explain himself, he had to explain his reasons for rejecting Christmas. She could tell he felt slightly guilty without looking at him, he needed to justify himself to someone, otherwise, he was just rude.

Kim could see it in the corner of her eyes, a saddened expression on his face. She could see the disappointed child in his eyes as she looked at her. She could see a child that was left alone on Christmas, a child a that gave up on Christmas a long time ago.

His lips opened and closed, stopping himself for talking as sighed softly. Kim could feel his guilt and Kim let out a breath that turned into a cloud of mist, still looking forward.

"I get it, Sam," she sighed, "no need to explain." Sam nodded slightly, a lined smile on his face before he walked forward, leaving Kim alone in the dirt. She just stood there and watched the kids laugh and play like any happy kid should. She tried her best to remember – she really did – but it was hopeless. She concentrated every Christmas, trying to get a better glimpse of any Christmas memory that remained in her mind, but Sarah sharing her memories were the only thing that appeared when she thought of Christmas. Frustrated, she groaned and kicked the dirt angrily, watching the dirt fly up. She took a breath and relaxed her tenses muscles, walking up to Sam and Dean who were inside the Santa Village.

"Think about it, Dean. If you smell like candy, the kids will come closer, you know?" Sam said as Kim walked up. Kim automatically cringes as she stood next to him as they boys smirked at her expression.

"Okay, I came into this conversation at the wrong time."

"That's creepy," Dean nodded as Sam chuckled at him.

"What's this about?" Kim asked.

"Anti-Clause walks with a limp and smells like candy, were trying to figure out who it is," Kim nodded in thought, a slightly questionable expression drew on her face as Sam explain, the three of their eyes searching the village.

"How does this thing know who's been naughty and who's been nice?" Dean broke the silence after thinking for a few seconds, turning to Sam.

"I don't know,"

They looked around and Kim spotted a man wearing a Santa Clause outfit, outside a small barn. He looked scary rather than jolly as he sat in a chair outside the bar, the dirt flicking around. A woman and a boy walked up to him and the woman gestures to Santa as they boys sat on his lap. Sam has spotted him too, gathering his brother's attention to it as well.

A woman in an elf costume walked up to them.

"Welcome to Santa's court. Can I escort your child to Santa?" she asked cheerily.

"Uh..." Sam stuttered.

"No. No. Uh, but actually my brother here... it's been a lifelong dream of his," Dean said, patting Sam on the back. Sam looked down on the girl with a shocked and awkward smile, Kim held back a laugh. The girl looked up at Sam like he was a freak, Kim stood beside him, her lips pressings into a line.

"Uh, sorry. No kids over... twelve," she murmured awkwardly.

"No, he's just kidding. We only came here to watch," Sam tried to save the situation but he only made it worse, Kim and Dean looked at each other, shaking their head. The girl back off slightly, a digested expression on her face.

"Eww."

"I didn't mean that we came here to w— Y—" Sam looked to Dean, a flat look on his face, "Thanks a lot, Dean. Thanks for that." Dean laughed at his bothers awkwardness but suddenly turned serious.

"Check it out," Dean said, nudging his head towards Santa. He got up after the boy left his lap and started limping. "Are you seeing this?"

"Yeah, but lots of people have a limp," Kim stated.

"Tell me you didn't smell that. That was candy, man," Dean continued.

"If you were the anti-Santa, you would seriously dress up like Santa, your brother?" Kim asked.

"Maybe; are we willing to take that chance?"

•※•

The three of them sat in the cold Impala, the windows slightly foggy with the chilly night air. Kim rubbed her hands together in the back seat as she shuffled against the car's smooth leather. They sat and watched a small, crummy 'house' they followed Santa too, stalking him to his abode. The thought of the Anti-Clause wasn't impossible– nothing was impossible in this line of work; in fact, it was very plausible, but to Kim, it seemed like an unlikely situation. It just didn't seem right?

"What time is it?" Dean asked from the driver's seat.

"Same as the last time you asked. Here..." Sam handed Dean a thermos, "Caffeinate." Dean took the thermos from Sam and tried to pour himself some coffee, but the thermos was empty. Dean sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Wonderful," Dean scoffed before looking into the rearview mirror, his eyes landed on Kim. She was in the back, her head resting in her hand as her elbow was popped up on the window sill, staring at the house. His eyes moved for Kim as she rubbed her eyes over to Sam, before scoffing. "Hey, Sam," Dean called.

"Yeah?" Sam asked. Dean stopped for a second and looked over to Kim, who hadn't invested herself in their conversation, but Dean knew she was listening.

"Why are you the boy that hates Christmas?" Sam quickly looked into the mirror and saw that Kim had shuffled awkwardly. She moved her eyes from the house to meet his gaze, she could feel him staring at her through the mirror. Rapidly, they turned their gaze to something different as Sam looked back at Dean.

"Not now, Dean," Sam warned softly.

"Oh, come on Sam, Kim. We'll drag her into this as well," Dean smirked at Sam before his smirked disappeared into a more serious expression, "I mean, I admit it. You know, we had a few bumpy holidays when we were kids."

"'Bumpy'?"

"That was then. We'll do it right this year," Dean encouraged but Sam had heard it all before. He sighed and turned to his brother, slightly frustrated with his persistence.

"Look, Dean. If you want to have Christmas, knock yourself out, just don't involve me."

"Oh, yeah, that'd be great. Me and myself making cranberry molds," Dean scoffed, disappointed in the reaction he had received. The car grew silent after, the Christmas spirit was as absent as any other day; they returned to watching the house when 'Santa' looked outside from his window, peaking around the curtains, then quickly closed them.

"What's up with Saint Nicotine?"

"Oh, my God!" a woman's voice called from a small distance. Sam, Kim and Dean jumped out of the car and ran to the house with their guns drawn. Dean looked inside the window of the front door.

"Huh," Sam huffed.

"What?" Kim asked,

"Nothing. It's just that, uh... well, you know, Mr Gung Ho Christmas might have to blow away Santa," Sam said to Dean in a subtly. Dean ignored his comment, still in thought about why Sam hated Christmas so much.

Slowly, Dean opened the door and they charged in, surprised to see 'Santa' sitting on the couch, a beer gut protruding over his legs with a bong and a bottle of whisky in his hands. Instantly the three of them hid their guns.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked in shock as he stood up for his seat. Kim looked over at the TV and saw a woman and a man, 'talking'; the same woman's voice that they heard outside came from the TV.

"Ah, w—" Sam awkwardly stuttered was a curled lip smile as they all shuffled on their feet, awkwardly.

"Jingle my bells?" the woman from the TV whispered suggestively, the Christmas porno continued to play in the background.

"S-silent night... Holy..." Dean started singing in a low and unpleasant tone, a low shakiness in his throat. He looked over to Kim who gave him wide eyes, him expecting her to follow along. She looked up at him as he stared down at her, her hooded eyes filled with reluctance as her lips curled in disgust. Without a second thought, Kim turned on her heel and exited the house, leaving the two brothers inside, singing the Christmas carol they didn't know the lyrics to.

With Kim's absence, Sam started singing along, "All is well..." Sam sent an awkward smile to Santa.

"...all is dry." Dean sang the wrong lyrics.

"Bright..." Sam corrected.

"Round and round..." they sang, singing the wrong lyrics. None of them remembered or knew any of the lyrics. "The table..." Sam put his hand on Dean's shoulder as they shuffled back towards the door, before quickly turning and leaving with Kim.

•※•

"So, that's how your son described the attack? 'Santa took daddy up the chimney'?" Dean asked, raising an eyebrow. Kim stood next to Dean and Sam stood next to her, the three of them standing around the woman's living room. A lovely, Christmas decorated the living room.

"That's what he says, yes," the woman confirmed, a large mark covering her face from an attack.

"And where were you?" Dean asked.

"I was asleep and all of a sudden... I was being dragged out of bed, screaming."

"Did you see the attacker?" Sam asked as Kim looked around the room, her eyes landing on the wreath above the fireplace.

"It was dark, and he hit me. He knocked me out," the woman shook her head.

"I'm sorry. I know this is hard," Dean sympathized; Sam nodded along as Kim nudged him with her elbow, nodding towards the wreath.

"Yeah... um, Mrs Caldwell, where did you get that wreath above the fireplace?" Sam asked and Dean turned to face the wreath.

"Excuse me?" Mrs Caldwell asked. Dean looked at Sam, waiting for an answer.

"Just curious, you know," Sam shrugged awkwardly. With that, the three of them excused themselves and walked to the Impala.

"Wreaths, huh? Sure you didn't want to ask her about her shoes? I saw some nice handbags in the foyer," Dean scoffed at Sam, having no idea that Kim showed him the wreath.

"It was a very pretty wreath. I mean, it was silvery with flowers, very Christmasy," Kim nodded, looking at Dean with a very serious expression before shrugging, "I mean, that's if you want a white Christmas." Suddenly, her expression dropped and she rolled her eyes, "That wreath was at the Walsh's yesterday," Kim raised an eyebrow at Dean who scoffed playfully.

"I know. I was just testing you." They drove away in the Impala, back to the motel.

•※•

The three of them sat in the motel room. Kim sat on the scratchy couch, her laptop heating up on her legs as she researched about certain witch herbs or plants that could have been hidden in the wreath. The boys had no idea what was going on and Kim had only found insignificant information online, so she listened as Sam called Bobby, asking him if he had any idea what was going on.

"Yeah, all right. Well, keep looking, would you? Thanks, Bobby." Sam hung up the phone and looked at the two of them, both Dean and Kim sitting on the couch. "Well... we're not dealing with the anti-Claus."

"What did Bobby say?" Dean asked.

"Uh, that we're morons." Kim huffed a laugh, "He also said that it was probably meadowsweet in those wreaths." Immediately, Kim face-palmed herself and sighed, eclipsing she was looking at the wrong type of plants.

"Pagan, of course," Kim huffed, "I feel so stupid."

"You know what it is?" Sam asked, curiously. Kim shut her laptop and moved over to the table Sam was sitting at, leaving Dean on the couch to continue her conversation with Sam.

"I know of it," Kim sighed.

"Do you know–" Dean interrupted Sam by getting up and moving over to the table, extending his arms in a questioning way.

"Great! What the hell is meadowsweet?"

"It's pretty rare and it's probably the most powerful plant in pagan lore," Kim explained.

"Pagan lore?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, meadowsweet was used for pagan some sort of human sacrifice routine. It was kind of like a... Chum for their gods. It's like catnip but for Gods, they would get drawn to it and feast on any poor bastard that was unfortunate enough to be hangin' around it," she continued.

"Why would somebody be using that for Christmas wreaths?" Dean asked.

"It's not as crazy as it sounds, Dean. I mean, pretty much every Christmas tradition is pagan," Sam explained.

"Christmas is Jesus' birthday," Dean reminded, trying to prove Sam wrong.

"No, Jesus' birthday was probably in the fall. It was actually the winter solstice festival that was co-opted by the church and renamed 'Christmas'. But I mean, the Yule log, the tree, even Santa's red suit – that's all remnants of pagan worship," Sam continued.

"How do you know that? What are you gonna tell me next? Easter bunny's Jewish?" Sam and Kim said nothing, a small smile plastered on their faces. "So you think we're gonna dealing with a Pagan God?"

"Yeah, probably Hold Nickar, God of the winter solstice," Sam nodded.

"And all these Martha Stewart wannabes, buying these fancy wreaths..." Dean added. Kim huffed playfully at Dean's comment as Sam replied.

"Yeah, it's pretty much like putting a neon sign on your front door saying 'Come kill us'. Perfect," Kim scoffed.

"Huh... when you sacrifice to Hold Nickar, guess what he gives you in return," Sam said, reading off his laptop.

"Lap dances, hopefully," Dean replied. Sam didn't respond to the joke but continued reading.

"Mild weather."

"Like a snowless December Christmas in the middle of Michigan," Kim said, looking out the window,

"For instance."

"Do we know how to kill it yet?" Dean asked, getting to the important questions.

"No, Bobby's working on that right now. We got to figure out where they're selling those wreaths."

"You think they're selling them on purpose? Feeding the victims to this thing?" Dean asked. Sam looked to his bother before switching to Kim and exhaled.

"Let's find out."

•※•

Sam, Dean and Kim walked into a shop filled with Christmas decorations, the warm air that was trapped inside the shop hit them as they walked in. Kim shuffled her shoulders inside her flannel as she adjusted from the mild air outside to the heated air inside, beginning to feel the tip of her nose again.

"How can I help you?" the man behind the register asked as they casually walked around the shop, searching for the wreath. Kim walked around the store slowly, her beady eyes searching through the red and green decorations.

"Uh, hope so. Uh, we were playing Jenga over at the Walshes' the other night, and, uh... well, he hasn't shut up since about this Christmas wreath, and," Dean pointed to Sam, "I don't know, you tell him." Sam looked at Dean, an unimpressed smile on his face as he turned to the shopkeeper, who gave him a wired look in return.

"Sure," Sam said with a dim smile. "It was yummy," he said flatly.

"I sell a lot of wreaths, guys," the shopkeeper nodded, not getting any specific details.

"Right, right, but– but you see, this one would have been really special. It had, uh, it had, uh, green leaves, um, white buds on it. It might have been made of, uh... meadowsweet?" Sam said suggestively.

"Well, aren't you a fussy one?" the shopkeeper huffed as Sam's suggesting expression dropped to an unimpressed one.

"He is..." Dean replied with a smile and a laugh. He laughed and Sam sent him an annoyed look as Kim huffed a laugh.

"Anyway, I know the one you're talking about. I'm all out," the shopkeeper shrugged. Kim adjusted her flannel.

"All out? That many people bought it, huh?" Kim asked but the shopkeeper just nodded.

"Huh. Seems like this meadowsweet stuff's pretty rare and expensive. Why make wreaths out of it?" Dean asked.

"Beats me. I didn't make them," he replied.

"You didn't make 'em? Who did?" Kim asked.

"Madge Carrigan, a local lady. She said the wreaths were so special, she gave them to me for free."

"Free, all of 'em? Luck you, huh?" Kim huffed. "You give 'em away for free?" The shopkeeper scoffed at the question.

"Hell no. It's Christmas. People pay a buttload for this crap."

"That's the spirit," Dean smirked as Sam rolled his eyes.

•※•

The three of them walk through the motel door to a dark motel room. Dean entered first and turned on the light, the other two followed after him. They were all slumped and tired, Kim rubbed her eyes as the lights turned on.

"How much do you think a meadowsweet wreath would cost?" Dean asked.

"Oh, too much for a wreath. One to two hundred dollars, at least," Kim scoffed, chucking herself on the couch, resting her head on the crusty pillow.

"This lady's giving them away for free? What do you think about that?" Dean continued.

"Well, sounds pretty suspicious," Sam nodded. Dean and Sam took off their jackets and sat on the edge of their bed, next to each other.

"Remember that wreath Dad brought home that one year?" Dean said, a wide smile on his face as he replayed the memory. Kim looked over the couch and saw that Sam had his head resting in his hands before he turned and looked at Dean, furrowing his eyebrows.

"You mean the one he stole from, like, a liquor store?" Sam asked, also replaying the memory with a questioning expression. Dean's smile was clear and genuine, it was honesty they happiest Kim had ever seen him, remembering his childhood.

"Yeah, it was a bunch of empty beer cans. That thing was great," Dean's smile was ear to ear, a genuine aura of happiness radiated off him. "I bet if I looked around hard enough, I could probably find one just like it." Dean smiled at Sam, as Sam nodded in an unenthusiastic way.

"All right. Dude... What's going on with you?" Sam asked, looking over to Kim who awkwardly ducked her head back over the couch.

"What?" Dean asked, slightly offended.

"I mean, since when are you Bing Crosby all of a sudden? Why do you want Christmas so bad?" Sam asked in a deep, throaty voice. Kim sat on the couch, listening to their conversation. They knew Kim was listening and they honestly didn't mind her being there although she thought her presence was a nuisance to them. What Kim hadn't realized yet, was that she was officially part of the family.

"Why are you so against it? I mean, are your childhood memories that traumatic?" Dean asked, slightly frustrated.

"No, that has nothing to do with it," Sam responded.

"Then what?"

"I-I mean, I-I just... I don't get it. You haven't talked about Christmas in years," Sam stuttered, trying to think of the words to say.

"Well, yeah. This is my last year," Dean said obviously.

"I know... That's why I can't," Sam replied sadly. His tone was broken as it sounded through the room in a low hum.

"What do you mean?" Dean asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I mean I can't just sit around, drinking eggnog, pretending everything's okay when I know next Christmas you'll be dead." There was a silence that followed the sorrow in his tone. Dean nodded, sadly, suddenly realizing the deepening sadness in his brother's voice, "I just can't." Both of them stay silent.

A memory ran past their eyes in a flash of golden light, but although they were sharing the same memory, there was a sadness in Sam's eyes that couldn't be seen in Dean's. Kim scanned the brothers, eyeing the amulet that hung around his neck and laid proudly on his chest. Dean's subtly happy expression quickly turned into a sad one, as Sam's expression just turned sadder and Kim couldn't help but share the emotion.


	27. Chapter Twenty-Five

The three of them stood outside a large, white suburban house, the type the of house the three of them could only see in their dreams. The front lawn was filled with Christmas decorations that lite up the street. Lights covered the house and Santa's, reindeer's and snowmen decorated the front lawn.

The house triggered a sadness in Kim – in all of them – as they looked at it in a subtle state of awe. Whenever Kim and Sarah would drive past a house like this, big and homely, she would describe how they once lived in a house just like it. Kim would remember most parts of the house vividly, considering she was five when she left, but Sarah would find great pleasure in reminding Kim how great they had it before their mom died, so Kim would just sit and listen to her, seeing how happy it made her. But Kim could sense the empty sadness as Sarah stopped her description and realised all that was heavily in the past.

Kim shook herself out of her gaze as Dean spoke.

"This is where Mrs Wreath lives, huh? Can't you just feel the evil pagan vibe?" Dean chirped sarcastically as they walked up to the house and knocked on the door. An old lady answered the door, her grey hair perfectly curled and pinned back. Her cardigan sat neatly on her with a gold necklace around her collar. She smiled at the three of them, a rosy blush on the apples of her cheeks as she smiled a little too cheerily for Kim's liking.

"Yes?" Madge – as they were told – opened the door and looked at them.

"Please tell me you're the Madge Carrigan who makes the meadowsweet wreaths," Dean asked.

"Why, yes I am."

"Ha! Bingo," Dean smiled.

"Yeah? Uh, well, we were just admiring your wreaths in Mr Sylar's place the other day," Sam commented.

"You were? Well, isn't that meadowsweet just the finest-smelling thing you ever smelled?" she smiled cheerily, motherly way.

"Oh, it was beautiful," Kim smiled over-dramatically, matching her Christmas cheer.

"It is, it sure is. But the problem is, is that all you wreaths had sold out before we got the chance to buy one," Sam stated.

"Oh, fudge!" she darned.

"Yeah, it was beautiful. We were just wondering if you happened to have another one we could buy?" Kim asked, sweetly leaving a sick feeling on her lips.

"Oh, no, I'm afraid those were the only ones I had for this season," she replied sadly.

"Aww..."

"Tell me something, why did you decide to make them out of meadowsweet?" Dean asked, straight to the point. Behind Madge, Mr Carrigan walled down the staircase.

"Why, the smell, of course! I don't think I've ever smelled anything finer."

"Yeah... um, you mentioned that."

"What's going on, honey?" Mr Carrigan asked his wife in an equally cheery way, his cheeks just as rosy as hers.

"Well, just some nice boys asking about my wreaths, dear," she replied.

"Oh, the wreaths are fine. Fine wreaths. Oh, care for some peanut brittle?" he asked the three of them, showing off a plate of peanut brittle. Dean automatically reached for it as Kim looked at it hesitantly while Sam slapped Dean's hand away.

"We're okay," Sam replied, sending a lippy smile to the couple.

•※•

They sat in the motel room, Sam in his laptop while Kim and Dean sharpened wooden stakes, preparing for the attack. Kim tossed her sharpened stake onto the alway finished pile of stakes Kim and Dean and finished earlier.

"I knew it. Something was way off with those two," Sam said, clapping his hands together once on accomplishment.

"What'd you get?" Kim asked, beginning to sharpen another stake.

"The Carrigans lived in Seattle, last year, where two abductions took place right around Christmas. They moved here in January," Sam replied. "All that Christmas crap in their house – that wasn't boughs of holly. It was vervain and mint."

"Pagan stuff?" Dean asked.

"Serious pagan stuff."

"So what, Ozzie and Harriet are keeping a pagan god hidden underneath their plastic-covered couch?" Kim scoffed a laugh.

"I don't know. All I know is we're gotta check them out. So, what about Bobby? He's sure evergreen stakes will kill this thing, right?" Sam asked.

"That's what he said," Kim nodded, looking at the pile of stakes.

•※•

They all prepared themselves outside of the Carrigan's house, weapons in hand as Dean picked the house lock. The streets were silent, an eerie chill ran past the tip of Kim's nose, sending her stiff. Trees that covered the street dances softly in the mild wind, the sound of the air the only thing they could hear. The night was only getting darker as they worked and they were thankful that the large amount of Christmas light the Carrigan's ad decorating their house to light up their view.

The three of them entered the house after Dean unlocked the door; the door creaked slightly as it opened, making Kim cringe at the abrupt noise. They carefully stepped into the house, making sure their footsteps didn't creak as the door did. As they searched, Dean stepped into the well-decorated living room that was covered with green and red decoration that shone dimly along with a large Christmas tree and a plastic cover over their couch.

"See? Plastic," Dean emphasised, pointing to the couch as he continued to look at the Christmas ornaments. Sam and Kim went into the hallway, which was also decorated with ornaments and snow globes. The two of them walked into the kitchen to see a beautifully baked plate of cookies. Kim looked at Sam to see if he was watching as she sneaked a cookie into her pocket, but she was distracted by his light shining on a locked, white door just opposite the kitchen counter.

"Hey, Dean," Sam called, not taking his eyes off the locked door.

"Suspicious," Kim added as Dean walked over and started to unlock the door, Sam nodded at her comment. It took a while to unlock the door, but they finally heard the satisfying click and the door opened slightly, but it was possible to see the staircase leading into the darkness that was the basement. With hesitation, they walk down the stairs to the basement. The smell of dust tickled their nose as well as the familiar smell of blood, nothing like the house above them. Dean and Kim pointed their flashlight around the empty room, Sam standing close to them. Kim's light eventually found a bowl that was filled with bones and covered in blood.

Kim swallowed a lump in her throat hastily, eyeing the bowl with hooded eyes, soon to discover the whole basement was covered in blood, bones and dust. The further they stepped into the darkness, the smell because less tolerable.

The basement looked like a butchers cutting room, with tables spilled with blood and meat as blood poured off the edge and fell onto the floor and their suspicions of the Carrigan's became truth and their wander around the room came to a short end after Kim found a leather bag covered in blood, she looked at it in disgust before following the messy trail of blood that lead to it only to find a large, human-sized bag that was hanging from the wall. Kim automatically let out a breath, her hand clutching the stake harder as she inspected the bag. With one poke, the bag moved – someone inside was struggling.

"Oh shit!" Kim breathed as she immediately dropped her stake and reached for the bag. Her hands laced the bag to find it was covered in blood also, but in her frantic desperation to release the victim, she lost concentration of what was around her and in an instant, someone grabbed her throat forcefully. Kim struggled against the grip, trying to rip herself out of it as she thrashed around, clawing at the hand around her neck. She left her feet lift off the ground, the pressure in her neck tightening.

"Kim!" she head Dean scream for behind her. Madge pushed Kim up against the wall bit Kim bit her hand, causing her grip to loosen and Kim fell to the floor. Quickly, she pushed herself up and punched Madge and she stumbled back, Kim saw Dean unconscious on the floor. Kim was about to run to him, when she felt another hip on her neck, stronger than the last. She was again, lifted off the floor as she watched Mr Carrigan knock Sam out. It was getting harder for Kim to breath and she struggled against Madge's grip, but she was quickly losing air and quickly became fatigued, she closed her eyes.

The Christmas decorations on the lawn were lit up with lights and Christmas music played. From the outside, everything seemed normal, while inside, a number of bowls and knives were set out on the kitchen table. Sam, Kim and Dean were tied up, bounded to dining room chairs.

Kim woke up last out of the three, to find herself tied to the chair. She wiggled furiously in her chair, the ropes burring her skin as it ground against her. She tried to flatten out her hand and slide it under the ropes, but it was no use. She was bound, and nothing could be done about it.

Sam and Dean's chairs were back to back, Kim was in the middle, the table of instruments behind them.

"Dean? You okay?" Sam asked, wiggling in his chair.

"Yeah, I think so," Dean tooled to his left and saw Kim, "What about you?"

"Just peachy," she sneered.

"So, I guess we're dealing with Mr and Mrs God," Sam stated, Dean and Kim nodded, "Nice to know."

Mr and Mrs Carrigan walked into the kitchen, dressed in coloured Christmas clothes and sweaters with the same rosy cheeks and toothy smile.

"Ooh, and here we thought you two lazybones were gonna sleep straight through all the fun stuff," Madge giggled in a sweet tone. Kim rolled her eyes as they walked around her and towards the table, smiling down on the three of the kindly.

"Miss all this? Nah, we're partiers," Dean replied sarcastically.

"Isn't he a kick in the pants, honey?" Mr Carrigan asked his wife before turning back to them, "You're hunters, is what you are."

"And you're Pagan Gods. So, why don't we just call it even and go our separate ways?" Dean smirked as Kim continued to wriggled her wrists.

"What, so you can bring more hunters and kill us?" Mr Carrigan laughed, "I don't think so."

"Maybe you should have thought about that before you went snacking on humans," Sam spat, rolling his eyes. Kim bit her lip as she tied to get free.

"Oh no, don't get all wet," Mr Carrigan replied saltily.

"Oh, why, we used to take over a hundred tributes a year and that's a fact." Madge said, putting a napkin gently on Dean's lap, "Now what do we take? What, two? Three?" she smiled as if it was a good thing. As if she deserved to take those innocent people as she placed a napkin on Kim and Sam's lap.

"Hardy three here make six," Mr Carrigan said, gesturing to the three as they scowled at them.

"Now, that's not so bad, is it?"

"Oh no. It's perfect, in fact, it's ideal," Kim spat through her teeth. Her back was facing the table, she couldn't see them preparing for their rituals.

"You, miss, better show us a little respect," Mr Carrigan sap.

"Sure, cause that will stop you from eating me," Kim continued frustratedly.

"I said, respect."

"Or what? You'll eat us?"

"Not so fast," Mr Carrigan looked to his wife, "There's rituals to be followed first."

"Oh, we're just sticklers for ritual," she smiled sweetly, sickening Kim as they wandered around the table, preparing everything with a little hop in their step.

"And you know what kicks off the whole shebang?" Madge smiled.

"Let me guess... meadowsweet," Dean growled, "Oh shucks, you're all out of wreaths. I guess we'll just have to cancel the sacrifice, huh?"

"Oh, don't be such a gloomy Gus," she pouted, putting a necklace of meadowsweet around each of their necks, "There. Ohh... don't they just look darling?"

"Good enough to eat," Mr Carrigan smacks his lips, "All right-roo. Step number two," Mr Carrigan smirked, walking I've to Sam carrying a knife and a bowl, just like the ones in a basement. Sam struggled in his seat as he approached, trying to move as far away from his as possible. Kim twisted her neck, trying to see what he was doing. He holds the bowl under Sam's arm and prepared to cut Sam's arm.

"Sammy?! Sammy?!" Dean called to his brother. Kim started to pace her breathing as she saw the glistening on the knife. Mr Carrigan held the knife to Sam's arm and began to cut, a line of blood dripping from his arm.

"D-Don't!" Sam breathed shakily, but as the knife sliced his skin, he let out a low scream.

"Leave him alone, you son of a bitch!" Dean seethed through gritted teeth.

"Hear how they talk to us? To Gods?" Mr Carrigan said to Madge as she took the knife and bowl and made her way to Dean, "Listen, pal, back in the day, we were worshipped by millions."

"Time's have changed!" Dean howled as Kim braced herself.

"Tell me about it. All of a sudden, this Jesus character is the hot new thing in town. All of a sudden, our – our altars are being burned down, and we're being hunted down like common monsters."

"But did we say a peep? Oh... no, no, no, we did not," Madge said proudly.

"Two millennia," Mr Carrigan said, adding something to the bowl before moving over to Sam with a scary looking tool.

"We kept a low profile; we got jobs, a mortgage. Wh-What was that word, dear?" Madge asked her husband.

"We assimilated,"

"Yeah, we assimilated. Why we play bridge on Tuesday and Fridays," she nodded, waving a large knife around, "We're just like everybody else."

"You're not blending in as smooth as you think, lady."

"This might pinch a bit, dear." Madge moved closer to Dean, holding the knife firmly. Quickly, she sliced his arm just like Mr Carrigan did to Sam.

"You bitch!" Dean screamed, seething at her.

"Oh, my goodness me! Somebody owes a nickel to the swear jar. Oh, do you know what I say when I feel like swearing?" Dean looked Madge dead in the eye as if daring her to continue, "Fudge." Dean scowled his face in utter disgust.

"I'll try and remember that!" he sassed, breathless for the pain.

"You three have no idea how lucky you are. There was a time when kids came from miles around, just to be sitting where you are," Mr Carrigan moved to Sam with the tool.

"Yeah, that time is over," Kim spat.

"What do you think you're doing with those?" Sam panicked as Mr Carrigan smiled evils, a state of terror over his face. Madge moved to Dean and went to grab his other arm but he flinched savagely.

"You fudging touch me again and I'll fudging kill you!" Dean spat and Madge domed a smile.

"Very good!" Madge sliced Dean's other arm and he groaned in pain, while Mr Carrigan grabbed Sam's hand. Sam's breath started to change rapidly as he tied to claw his fingers away from him, but he pressed them out straight and moved the tool to his fingernail.

"No, no! Her's are prettier," Madge smiled, happily throwing Kim under the bus. Kim's breath hitched as she watched with a sore neck as Mr Carrigan looked from Sam's fingernails to her.

"You are very right, dear," he smiles, moving over to Kim as she thrashed in her chair.

"You have to be kidding me," Kim groaned as she looked up at the towering God over her. She squirmed all she could, but he gripped her hands tight and flattened out her fingers.

"Don't touch her!" Dean yelled, shaking violently.

"No! Don't!" Sam yelled at him as he placed the tool on Kim's index finger. Slowly and painfully, he pulled her whole nail out as she screamed in pain. Dean flinched at the sound of her screams, her blood dripping on the floor. She could feel her flesh slowly being ripped from her nail, feeling the tare of ever string of flesh breaking.

"Oh, we got a winner!" Mr Carrigan smiled as Kim bit her lip in pain, feeling the sting of the cool air on her open wound.

"What else, dear?" Madge asked as they put the ingredients in the bowl.

"Well, let's see. Uh, fingernail, blood. Oh..." Mr Carrigan hit his head playfully, "sweet Peter on a popsicle stick..." he laughed "I forgot the tooth."

"Oh, dear!" Dean braced himself and sighed in defeat, rolling his head back trying to see Sam and Kim.

"Merry Christmas, guys," Dean said breathlessly as Sam groaned.

"Yeah, Merry fudging Christmas," Kim breathed, looking up to the ceiling.

Mr Carrigan picked pliers and grabbed Dean's chin, picks up pliers and grabs Dean's chin.

"Open wide... and say, 'Aaah'." Mr Carrigan pried Dean's mouth open and stuck the pliers in as Dean groaned, mimicking a sarcastic 'Aaah'. Kim took a deep breath and tried to block it out as he prepared to pull Dean tooth out when the doorbell rang. Kim sighed in relief. Dean looked up at the two Gods that stood in front of him, pliers still firmly in his mouth.

"Somebody gonna get that?" Dean asked muffled. Madge and Mr Carrigan looked to each other. Sam looked relieved. "You should get that," Dean prompted.

"Come on," Mr Carrigan sighed as Dean let out a breath, the pliers being taken out of his mouth and runs his tongue over his teeth. Kim shuffled in her chair as she listened to their conversation with the neighbours. They had asked if they wanted to go to Carolina, but they refused, saying Mr Carrigan had a sore back. Kim shuffled as the ropes burned her skin.

"Hurry up, let's go," Dean said, wriggling in his chair. Kim pushed against the rope, hoping to create a little more wiggle room. "Kim, you have the smallest hands, come on!" Dean whisper-yelled, but Kim blocked him out, trying her best.

Frantically, she thrashed her hand around and managed to dislocate her thumb and rip her right hand out of the rope. Quickly, she untied her other rope before moving to Sam and untying his. After Dean was untied, the three of them separated, finding a secure hiding spot.

"Now, where were we?" Madge beamed with rosy cheeks as the couple barged into the kitchen, surprised not to see Sam, Kim and Dean in their chairs. Quickly, the three of them emerged from their hiding spot and closed the two doors that enters the kitchen. They put all their pressure on the door, holding it closed as they banged on it.

"What do we do now? The evergreen stakes are in the basement!" Dean groaned.

"Well, we need more evergreen, Dean!" Sam said was his eyes scanned the room of something before landing on the Christmas tree. "I think I just found us some more," Kim followed his gaze to the Christmas tree and nodded, knowing what he was saying.

"Help me," Kim said, nodding her head towards the big cabinet as she walked two arms it. Dean's nodded her head and the two of them moved to the cabinet, pushing it over to block the doors before going to the Christmas tree and breaking off a branch, ready to use it as a weapon.

The banging stopped and the three of them waited in silence, ready to attack. Their reflexes were on edge as they tuned to any noise made. They waited before moving to the kitchen doors. Suddenly, Mr Carrigan tackled Dean to the floor while Madge walked in and scowled at Kim and Sam, moving their balance to attack mode.

"You little thing," her face momentarily distorted to her natural form, "I loved that tree." She charged, aiming her attack at Sam. Quickly, Sam punched her in the face and she stumbled back, giving Kim time to push her off her feet and watch her fall onto her back. Quickly, she stabbed down into her chest. Kim watched satisfied as the blood poured from the wound, down her crisp cardigan and onto her neat, clean rug.

"Madge!" Mr Carrigan screamed. Dean took this opportunity to stab him in his chest, twice. Sam watched as the blood splattered everywhere, but Kim didn't notice. She just pushed down harder on Madge's chest, the overflow of blood stained the house and the rosiness in her cheeks faltered.

Mr Carrigan fell to the floor, screaming, the life slowly ripped from him. The three of them panted quickly as Kim held her finger his. Her hands, the pain still radiating from her finger.

"Merry Christmas," Sam said to the tree of them, Dean and Kim sent him a small smile, gaining their breath and sucking in their pain.

•※•

Dean and Kim walked into the motel room, 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' played as they entered. The dim motel lights spread around the room, slightly radiating off of Dean's amulet. He always wore it, and it was always worn with pride. It was a happy memory, something that meant a great deal to him, although he would never really admit it. Kim had been meaning to ask him about it, feeling it had a bigger meaning than he posed but she stayed quiet. She kept her questions quiet, knowing that if she asked them, she would be expecting some back and that was something she was desperate to avoid.

Sam smiled subtly as they walked in. To their surprise, the motel spelt like cheap whisky and bourbon and the room was decorated with cheap Christmas ornaments and a small Christmas tree. Kim was a bit taken back with his change of mood, not at all expecting Sam to suddenly celebrate Christmas. Kim looked at Dean, a small, tilted smile on her face. Dean was equally surprised. Sam walked up to them, a cup of eggnog in each hand.

"Hey, you get the beer?" Sam asked, holding the eggnog.

"What's all this?" Dean asked surprised, looking at the decorations around the room. Sam nodded awkwardly, looking around the room as well.

"What do you think it is? It's – it's Christmas." Dean looked at Sam, who let out a deep breath.

"What made you change your mind?" Dean asked, wanting to know the answer.

"Here, uh, try the eggnog," Sam replied, ignoring his question and gave them the cups, "Let me know if it needs some more kick." He held out a bottle of whisky, ready to add another dash. Surprised, Kim and Dean sip it and both look surprised at the taste. Kim looked at Dean, a small smirk on her face as she sipped it again.

"No, we're good," Dean nodded, flattening his lips as he hesitantly swallowed his drink.

"Yeah?" Sam asked happily.

"Yeah," Kim agreed deeply, taking another sip. Dean sent her a look. Sam smile and turned his back to them and Dean expression automatically changed as if the drink was toxic. He cringed and crinkled his nose, the taste of whisky extremely potent. Kim smirked and was about to take another sip when the drink was stolen out of her hands. She watched as Dean took it from her, placing it on the table.

"Nice try," Dean whispered to her. Kim sighed, her drink–once again–being taken away.

"That drinks a kick in the ass if there ever was one," Kim whispered back, smirking as Dean nodded.

"Good," Sam smiled, turning back to them, "Well, uh, have a seat. Let's do... Christmas stuff, or whatever," Dean looked at the Christmas tree and nodded happily.

"All right, first things first," Sam sat on the couch and Dean and Kim pulled up a chair. Dean pulled two packages wrapped in brown paper from a plastic bag and held them out to Sam, "Merry Christmas, Sam." Kim smiled at the packaging.

"Where'd you get these?"

"Someplace special." Sam looked at him, "The gas mart down the street." Sam laughed and nodded as Dean pulled out another package and held it out to Kim. She looked down on it, not sure if she should take it. She looked up at Dean, a questioning look on he face. Dean smiled and shook it, gesturing her to take it. Slowly, a smile grew on her face as she hesitantly took it. Kim smiled took it gratefully. "Open them up."

"Well, great minds think alike, Dean." Sam reached under the couch for two packages wrapped in newspaper, which he gave it to Dean.

"Really?" Dean asked happily surprise and took the gift

"There you go," Sam also pulled out another gift and handed it to Kim. Kim took it, a small smile on her face. She put the gift in her lap, eyeing the two presents she got and sighed.

"Now I feel like shit," Kim laughed, taking the gift, "I didn't think we were doing Christmas," Dean smiled and nodded.

"Come on," Dean said, nodding to them to open their gifts. Sam opened his first gift, which is two porn magazines.

"Skin mags!" Sam laughed. Dean nodded satisfied with Sam's reaction, "and..." he opened the other gift, "Shaving cream," he nodded, laughing at the simplicity of the gifts. Sam wanted and expected nothing more.

"You like?"

"Yeah," Sam nodded once, smiling down at his presents happily, "Yeah." Kim watched as Sam gratefully took his presents because although they were small and pretty crappy, it wasn't the present the counted.

Dean started to unwrap his presents, looking down on them with a smile.

"Look at this," He lifted his presents, a candy bar and a bottle of oil, "Fuel for me and fuel for my baby," Sam nodded as Dean smiled down at them, the same proud and humble expression on their face. "These are awesome, thanks."

"Good." Sam nodded once, "Your turn, Kim." Kim smiled hesitantly, looking down at the gifts in her laps. She didn't want to open them, they were too good to be opened. She just stared at them, a weight of guilt hovered over her heart. She didn't get them a gift and she felt so guilty about it. Slowly, she opened Sam's gift fist. She looked down at it, holding the small piece of metal in her hand. Sam had given her a small, knife keychain. She looked down at it humbly and nodded towards Sam, a light smile tainted her face.

"It's perfect," Kim smiled.

"Good," he nodded, happy with her reaction. She then moved onto Dean present.

"Really, Dean?" Kim laughed as Sam rubbed his eyes, embarrassed.

"What? At least I know you'll use it?" Kim held the box of super pads on her lap and huffed a laugh at his answer. Although her gifts were simple and cheap, they meant a lot to her. Quickly, she put her keychain on her duffle bag, earning a smile from Sam.

The gift giving was over and there was sudden sadness around the room, the Christmas mood dwindling as the light outside did. It was now night and the three of them sat around the motel.

"Merry Christmas, bro," Dean said to Sam before turning to Kim and nodding, she nodded back and raised her glass of eggnog.

"Yeah," Sam lifted his eggnog and made a toast with Dean and Kim's glass, "Here, Merry Christmas." Sam and Kim and Dean were silent, the sad aura now filling the room knowing that this could be their last Christmas together. They each took a drink of their eggnog – Dean didn't even think to stop Kim – and Dean whistled softly at the taste.

"Hey, Dean," Sam looked sad and about to say something, but he hesitates, then sighed and looked at Dean again, "Do you feel like watching the game?" Dean smiled.

"Absolutely,"

"All right." Sam stood up and turned on the TV. Kim turned her chair to face the TV as she shuffled comfortable in her seat, pulling her legs under her. Together, they watch the winter football game. Sam glanced at Dean and Dean smiled as he took another sip of his eggnog. Although the room was silent, it was comfortable and warm. Kim sat with a smirk as the brothers smiled to themselves and although they weren't in a home or surrounded by a bunch of people, it was more than they could ask for. For the first time in a while, Kim was having a merry Christmas.

Kim sat and watched the game with as much interest as the boys. It reminded her of her dad, he would always put on the winter game at Christmas–if he was there. As she watched, she remembered how she would sit next to her dad as the game played, cheering when he cheered and yelling when he did. She was grateful for those times.

Suddenly, Kim had an idea, hopefully, one that would rid her of her guilt about not getting the boys a present. She looked outside and the snow had begun to fall. The game was about to finish as Kim stood from her seat and grabbed her coat. Dean looked at her quickly causing Sam to look over his shoulder as well.

"Where you goin'" Dean asked quickly. Kim looked at him, searching for an answer.

"Out," she shrugged.

"Out where?" Sam asked, "It's Christmas,"

"Uh..." she stuttered, "Um, I'm going to–uh... church?" Kim said but it sounded more like a question.

"Church?" Dean asked, not really believing her.

"Yeah..." With that, Kim hopped out the door and shrugged on her coat, instantly feeling the snow land on her shoulders. Kim scoffed as she walked, her feet sinking in the snow. "What has God ever done for me?"

Although it was night, the hype of Christmas didn't dim as Kim walked along the civilian street where kids jumped and screamed Christmas. It was Christmas Night and she walked alone. Her lips formed a lined smile as she kicked the small amount of snow that ones the path. Ever since the Pagan Gods were dead, a small amount of snow had started to fall, forming a thin layer over the town.

Kim shuffled her hands in her pockets, breathing in the cold air as. She just wanted to be alone and enjoy the simple things, like the snow. She slowly made her way to her destination, praying that they were open.

When Kim returned to the motel room, she entered to discover the boys both asleep in their beds. She smiled slightly, hoping they would get a good night sleep. God knows they deserved it. She nodded to them, Dean was wrapped in his blankets while Sam laid lazily under them.

Softly–making sure not to wake either of them up–she placed the bags on the bench. She took out all the stuff from the bag, making sure not to ruffle the plastic bags too much. She stopped midway as she placed something on the bench as Sam stirred in his sleep. She watched him, frozen in her place and when he stopped, she continued with her unpacking and when she was done, she smiled softly and began her work.

•※•

The morning approached quickly as the soft orange light seeped through the curtains, tinging the room the colour of amber. The light was warm and comforting, but as it shone on Sam's face, it woke him. Lifting his head from the pillow lazily, he kicked and scratched the itchy sheets off of him and sat up, his large, sock covered feet hit the floor and he moved his shaggy hair out of his face.

The smell of fresh baking filled his nose, a sweet concoction drifted through the air. The sugary smell woke him more as he wiped his eyes. He dragged himself to the kitchen, the feet gliding on the hard floor due to his socks. He was about to reach for a mug of coffee when his droopy eyes landed on the kitchen.

Large amounts of flour and drops of food colouring staining the floor while milk covered the kitchen counter, dripping down the benches and pooling on the floor. The whole kitchen was a mess and the orange light only illuminated it, but the mess in the kitchen didn't even compare to the mess on the kitchen table.

A small smile drew across Sam's face as his eyes traced the room and the table, causing a happy sigh to release from his lips. He moved to Dean to wake him up, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him awake. Dean woke immediately, looking over his shoulder at Sam urgently and mumbling something along the lines of: "Are you alright?" as he rubbed his eyes. Sam just nodded, pressing a finger to his lips to quiet him. Dean furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, it was too early in the morning for this. Sam gestured for Dean to get up quietly, so Dean got out of bed and followed Sam the short walk to the kitchen.

Sam stopped at the front of the kitchen table, looking down on it with a quirky smile. Dean stood lazily next to him, a smile appeared on his face also as his eyes landed on the table, he straightened his back.

The table was completely dusted with flour with fingerprints and lines outlined in the dust. Uncooked pieced of dough scattered the table and bowls of coloured icing splattered over the table, the yellow icing even spilling over the edge and dripping down the table. In the middle was Kim, lying asleep on a piece of raw dough. Her hair was covered in flour and matted with icing, her face stained with food colouring and icing; but at the edge were two baskets wrapped in sailplane filled with cookies iced every colour Kim could make, tarts of every variety and fig bread. In the middle of the two baskets was an apple pie, perfectly made and set, ready to be eaten; in front was a small car, soggy from spilt milk that read 'Merry Christmas'.

Dean smiled to himself when he saw the sight. "Uh-hm, Kim," Dean said, rather loudly, causing Kim to stir slightly. Instantly, Sam whacked his brother on the shoulder sending him a wide-eyed glare telling him to shut up. Dean sent him a confused look as Kim stirred, causing Sam to tense his shoulders hoping she would stay asleep.

"What?" Dean whispered so that Sam wouldn't hit him again.

"Dude, don't wake her up," Sam whispered back, an obvious expression on his face.

"What? Why?" Dean asked, shrugging his shoulders. Sam rolled his eyes and relaxed his shoulders, his eyes still on Kim.

"This was probably her first good night sleep since–"

"Since what?" Dean asked quickly as Sam sighed, unable to believe his brother hadn't noticed the odd sleeping and eating patterns Kim and been having.

"Since Ash died, Dean," Sam replied, his tone and expression softening, "Haven't you noticed?" Dean shrugged sadly, upset at himself for not noticing. Sam sighed and went to turn around to go get changed out of his pyjamas when his gangly leg accidentally kicked the table, sending Kim jerking awake, a piece of raw dough sticking to her cheek. Sam cringed as he spun around to see the consequence of his actions and Dean groaned at his younger brother, rubbing his face.

"Merry Christmas?" Kim mumbled instantly as she shot up for her position, looking up at the boys with droopy eyes. The boys smiled at her and shook their head as she slowly took the piece of dough off her face, slapping it down on the table. Sam smiled at her and huffed a laugh.

"It's uh... it's the 26th," Sam corrected, his lips forming a lined smile as Kim tried to register what was happening, still half asleep. She huffed once.

"Close enough." With that, she rubbed her eyes, and pushed herself off the chair, moving to make some coffee, "Want some?" she asked, gesturing to it. Both the boys nodded, sitting at the messy table as Kim started to make the coffee.

"Church, huh?" Dean questioned knowingly. Kim huffed.

"Worst lie I've ever told." They both laughed a bit before the room fell into silence. Neither of the boys knew what to say, they just stared at the bundles of baked goods in front of them. Dean kept peeking into the one in front of him with interest, his eyed the pie with hunger. They weren't sure if they could rip into them like they wished or if they had to wait, nothing like this had ever happened to them before and Kim hadn't exactly said that they were for them. In the corner of Kim's eye, she saw Dean peeking through one of the baskets.

"They're yours. Merry Christmas."

The boys smiled at each other before Dean started opening the basket in front of him, grabbing a cooking and instantly shoving it into his mouth. Kim listened for the soft cracking of the sugar bread cookie and she heard it, along with a moan coming from Dean. She smiled proudly to herself, before looking up at the ceiling, a small smirk on her lips. She then looked back down, the smile still on her lips as she poured three mugs of coffee.

Carrying them to the table, she saw Sam reach over to grab one of Dean cookies but his hand instantly got slapped away.

"Really? You're gonna make me open this whole thing for one cookie?" Sam asked, but Dean's serious expression didn't leave his face.

"Hell yes," Dean said, muffled by the three cookies he had managed to shove into his mouth. Kim smirked at them as she watched Sam open his basket and pull out a cookie, eating it happily. Dean eyed the pie as Kim pushed the mugs towards them.

"It's apple." She smirked, knowing it was his favourite. Dean laughed as he clapped his hands, rubbing them together, grabbing a plate, a knife and a fork.

"Oh, Kim," Dean laughed, putting a large piece of pie on his plate, "you know how to make a man feel special." Kim huffed and watched as Dean shovelled the pie into his mouth. Kim wore a flat smile, holding back her laughs when she saw Sam's ashamed expression. Although Sam was embarrassed by his brother, Kim felt a pang of pride in her heart as she watched him. No one had appreciated her cooking that much other than Ash.


	28. Chapter Twenty-Six

It has been a few weeks since Christmas and the three of them found themselves in a motel room, lying on their beds. Sam still had some of his cookies left–unsurprisingly, Dean had eaten all of his in the first day or so and he suddenly regretted smacking Sam's hand away as Sam refused to share any of his, except with Kim of course. Ever since Christmas, Kim had been getting back into her old healthier sleeping and eating routine, getting more than two or three hours of sleep.

Kim woke up from her reasonable amount of sleep to music blasting from the radio on the motel nightstand.

"Telling you what your heart is," the radio blasted. Kim sat up to Dean sitting on his bed fully clothed, head-banging to the song on the radio.

"Rise and shine, Kim and Sammy!" Dean shouted over the song as Sam sat up in his bed. Dean was tying his shoes as he listened to the song. Kim rubbed her eyes and got out of bed and quickly got changed. Sam looked at the radio and sighed.

"Dude, Asia?" Sam questioned.

"Come one, you love this song and you know it." Dean smiled, moving to the song.

"Yeah, and if I ever hear it again I'm gonna kill myself," Sam laughed seriously. Kim shuffled on her jacket and stretched her arms out, a smirk on her face as Dean turned up the volume.

"What? Sorry, couldn't hear you," Dean smirked, still sitting on the bed.

"It was the heat of the moment." Quickly, Dean pointed to Sam with a fierce aim and started lip-singing the lyrics, he bopped to the beat before getting up and walking to the bathroom. Kim laughed slightly at him and nodded along as the song continued to play. Sam sent her a look as if to stop encouraging him. She just shrugged.

"It's a good song," she shrugged, the two of them followed Dean into the bathroom to get ready. The bathroom was small but just big enough for the three of them to fit. Dean gargled loudly and long and Sam and Kim tried to ignore him long enough to brush their teeth. Dean grinned evilly at them, wiggling his eyebrows at Kim.

"Whenever you're ready, Dean," Sam smirked at Dean as he rummaged through his duffle bag. Dean pulled out a black bra, staring at it slightly before turning to Kim.

"This yours?" Sam glared at Kim as she smirked, squinting her eyes seductively.

"Oh honey, I'm bigger than that," she smirked, shoving her hands in her pockets. Dean laughed and rummages in the bag some more, and pulled out some guns. Kim smirked as he pulled them out.

"Great, let's go," Kim said. The three of them were about to walk out the door when her phone rung violently. Kim stopped and pulled out her phone, the boys stopped with her. Taking out her phone, she hesitantly answered with a slight cringed expression, as if bracing for the worst. The boys watched, listening to Kim.

"Hi..." she muttered awkwardly, "I know, I'm sorry," Dean gestured for Kim to put it on speaker but Kim shook her head, turning away from them. Dean rolled his eyes and grabbed the phone off Kim, putting it on speaker himself.

"–weeks! It's been weeks since Christmas and not even a phone call," Ellen yelled as Kim sighed. Kim looked at Sam and Dean as they sent a raised eyebrow to her. She rolled her eyes and started speaking out loud.

"I said I was sorry, I forgot," Kim sighed.

"Yeah well, Jo says Merry Christmas," Ellen said immediately, disappointment in her voice.

"Tell her I said 'Merry Christmas' too," Kim sighed sorrowfully, "Merry Christmas, Ellen,"

"Yeah, Merry Christmas my ass," Ellen said roughly, making Kim roll her eyes, "I expected more from twenty-year-olds." Kim cringed at her words, stiffening up. She didn't respond as she heard a shuffle from behind her. She hadn't told the boys when her birthday was or that it had passed.

"Twenty?" Dean asked slightly angry. Kim just turned around to them with a blank expression, Dean obviously frustrated that Kim didn't tell them.

"Oh great, you didn't tell 'em, did you?" Ellen scoffed.

"It's not a big deal," Kim scoffed into the phone as the brothers shared a look behind her. Although Kim couldn't see her, she knew Ellen was shaking her head.

"You better put me on speed-dial, kid," Ellen scoffed.

"You got it, Ellen. I'll make sure if it," Dean said into the phone, taking it off speaker and putting to his ear. Kim huffed as Dean turned his back to them, speaking to Ellen alone. "Yes ma'am, it will be done. See ya, Ellen." With that, Dean hung up and handed Kim the phone, smiling.

"Now, who's ready for breakfast?"

•※•

The door chimed as Sam and Dean entered the small cafe. The smell of freshly cooked bacon and eggs filled the hit Kim in the face as she walked in.

"Drive safely now, Mr Pickett," the cashier said to the man at the register.

"Yeah, yeah," Mr Pickett said, shuffling out the door, past the three of them. They found their way to a booth and shuffled in, Sam sitting next to Kim and Dean sitting across from her. She was closest to the window as she leaned on it, resign her head.

"So, twenty," Dean nodded, bringing up the subject again get. She knew he wouldn't let it down, she just hoped he would get over it.

"Shut up," Kim sighed, playing with the condiments on the table. Dean put his hands up in defence, a smirk on his face.

"Hey, Tuesday. Pig in a poke." Dean smirked, looking at the specials on the wall.

"You even know what that is?" Sam scoffed a laugh.

"You boys ready?" A waitress said, walking up to the table, her name tag said 'Doris'. Kim poked her head out from the table and smirked at the lady. "Oh, sorry, didn't see you there." She laughed slightly before taking out her notepad and pen. She just shrugged, she was shielded by Sam's large body.

"Yes. I'll have the special, side of bacon and a coffee." Dean nodded.

"Make it two coffees and a short stack," Sam said with a polite smile.

"And I'll have–" her eyes scanned the pancakes, "the eggs benedict, please," she smiled.

"You got it." Doris' smiled, walking away.

"I'm telling you, Sam, this job's small fry. We should be spending our time hunting down Bela," Dean scoffed. Kim groaned and smacked her head on the table. She couldn't be bothered dealing with Bela, she was too much effort so such little reward.

After Christmas, Sam, Kim and Dean managed to bump into Bela again. Kim really didn't want her to join the hunt but somehow she managed to squeeze her way in. She had offered Bobby help and halfway through the hunt, she disappeared, not forgetting to take the Colt with her. From then on, they had been trying to get the Colt back but Sam found a case and insisted they helped.

"Okay, sure, let's get right on that-where is she again?" Sam asked sarcastically.

"Shut up,"

"Look, believe me, I want to find her as bad as you do. In the meantime, we have this," Sam pulled out some papers.

"All right, so this professor," Dean said looking at the paper. The headline on the newspaper clipping read 'Missing - Dexter Hasselback Last Seem In Browad, Florida.'

"Dexter Hasselback was passing through town last week when he vanished," Sam said.

"Last known location?" Kim asked.

"His daughter says he was on his way to visit the Broward County Mystery Spot." Dean turned over a flyer and the cover was a large question mark and the words 'Broward County Mystery Spot'

"Where the laws of physics have no meaning," Kim read from the flyer, a huff escaped her mouth. Doris arrived with thee trays of food and two coffees with a bottle of sauce.

"Two coffees, black, and some hot sauce for the–" Doris gasped as the hit sauce dropped off the tray and smashed in the floor. "Whoops, crap! Sorry," Doris winched as she looked to the three of them apologetically. Dean just sent her a smile before looking at Kim and Sam with a quick eyebrow raise and sipped his coffee, "Cleanup!"

After their meal, they walked out of the cafe and onto the busy street. A dog tied to a bike rack barked at them as they exited the cafe. Sam had the flyer open in his hands, looking down at it as he walked until Dean took it out of his hands and scoffed.

Kim tried to stand next to the two of them but she kept getting pushed behind. The footpath was too narrow to fit three people side-by-side, so she reluctantly got pushed to the back. She couldn't even look over the boys' shoulders to look at the flyer, they were too tall.

"Sam, joints like this are only tourist traps, right? I mean, you know, balls rolling uphill, furniture nailed to the ceiling, they're only dangerous to your wallet," Dean laughed.

"Okay, look, I'm just saying, there are spots in the world where holes open up and swallow people. The Bermuda Triangle, uh, the Oregon Vortex–"

"Broward County Mystery Spot?" Dean laughed,

"Well, sometimes these places are legit." Sam shrugged.

"Doubt it," Kim scoffed while Sam sent her a glare over his shoulder. "Fine, so what if this place is legit, and that's a big-ass if, what's the lore?"

"Well–" Dean accidentally collided with a blonde girl, who is carrying a stack of papers.

"Excuse me," she rushed, walking past him rapidly.

"The lore's pretty frigging nuts, actually. They say these places the magnetic fields are so strong that they can bend spacetime, sending victims no one knows where," Sam explained.

"Sounds a little 'X-Files' to me," Dean huffed as they walked down the street. As they were walking, the three of them passed two movers, trying to shove a table through building's door. Half the table was sticking out onto the street as they walk, just fitting Sam and Dean in a line.

"All right, look, I'm not saying this is really happening, but if it is, we gotta check it out, see if we can do something." Sam shrugged.

"All right, all right, we'll go tonight, after they close, get ourselves a nice long look." Dean sighed, giving in. He just wanted to get it over with and Kim just went along with it, she couldn't really contribute from behind except for the occasional sassy comment. She just wanted to get the job done, although all she really wanted to do was get the Colt back. She didn't care if Bella had to go to hell for it–after all, she's the one that made the stupid deal.

•※•

It was nighttime when the three of them found themselves sneaking into the tourist attraction with their flashlights out and guns ready. Sneaking in, they walked into a neon green hallway with a black spiral painted on the walls and door, making it look like a weird tunnel. Kim looked around the room, its bazaar features intrigued her as Sam pulled out out the EMF reader. As they walked down the hallway and into a room, Dean shone his flashlight around, landing on the ceiling where a table with a bowl on it was nailed, upside down and up onto a table.

"Wow, uncanny," Dean sassed in spite of the place as Kim smirked at how stupid her surrounding looked. She could never understand how people found that entertaining as Sam scanned a tilted table with a glass and set dinner on it.

"Find anything?" Kim asked, looking around in slight disappointment.

"No," Sam replied, holding out his EMF reader, it was motionless.

"You have any idea what you're looking for?" Dean asked.

"Uh, yeah." Sam sounded a little too animated as if he was trying to convince himself. Dean rose an eyebrow at him and Sam sighed, "No." Dean shook his head and slightly rolled his eyes as the three of the continued to look around again. Statures of strange people were dotted around the room but Kim and Dean looked at the obvious fake shark head mounted on the wall. It was quiet as they looked around, the creepy object casting even creepier shadows from their flashlights.

"What the hell are you doing here?" a voice said from behind them. Instantly, the three of them turned around, guns were drawn. The owner of the 'Mystery Spot' sprung up, aiming a shotgun at them. Kim pulled out her gun and aimed it at his chest. The guy looked unstable, shaking as he pointed the shotgun at them.

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa, we can explain," Dean said quickly, putting his hand up and dropping his aim. Kim didn't move, in fact, she cocked her gun. As her hand automatically went to cock the gun, the hammer got jammed. She looked up frustrated, her finger pulling the hammer. it was jammed and her gun was useless. Sam looks to Kim who was struggling and watched as she tried to quickly un-jam it, but it was clogged up. Slowly and in a non-threatening way, Kim placed her gun back into her waistband.

"You robbing me?" he asked, shaking as he improperly held the shotgun.

"Look, nobody's robbing you, calm down," Sam said calmly.

"Don't move!" he yelled unstably.

"Just putting the gun down." The owner fired and Kim watched helplessly as Dean flew back on impact.

"Dean!" Sam and Kim rushed to Dean as Sam scooped him in his arms. Dean struggled to breathe as he looked up at Kim and Sam.

"Call 911," Kim screamed emotionally to the owner.

"I-I didn't mean to-"

"Now!" Sam yelled and Kim watched as the owner walked away, shaking. Kim swallowed hard as Kim slightly pushed the hair out of Dean's face.

"Hey, hey, oh, no, no, no, not like this..." Sam muttered to his brother as Dean gulped for air. Suddenly, he goes still and his eyes close. Sam could feel his Dean's body fall limp just as Dean had felt Sams. Kim gasped and put her hand over her mouth, an involuntary whimper escaped her lips. Her face straightened immediately as she pulled her faulty gun out and threw it across the room. Her eyes landed on Dean, and all of a sudden she realized how motionless he was.

•※•

Kim woke up from her reasonable amount of sleep to music blasting from the radio on the motel nightstand. Sam shot awake unusually quick.

"Rise and shine, Kim and Sammy!" Dean shouted over the song as Sam sat up in his bed. Dean was tying his shoes as he listened to the song. Kim rubbed her eyes and got out of bed, quickly got changed. Sam looked at Dean suspiciously, squinting his eyes.

"Dude, Asia," Dean smirked as Sam stayed in his shocked expression.

"Dean," Sam muttered quickly, still extremely confused.

"Oh, come on, you love this song and you know it," Dean turned the volume up and started bopping along, pointing to Sam with a fierce aim before getting up and going to the bathroom. Sam looked at Kim, extremely confused and worried as she nodded along to the song.

"It's a good song," she shrugged. Kim looks at Sam as he shook his head, the two of them following Dean into the bathroom.

The three of them stand at the sink, Kim brushed her teeth and tried to ignore Dean's long and loud gargling. Kim gave Dean an annoyed glare-which he returned with a smirk-while Sam swished around some water in his mouth before spitting it out. Sam sent Dean a weirdly confused look as Dean spat out his water and looked at Sam.

"What?" Dean asked blankly.

"I don't know."

"You all right?"

"I think I-," Sam paused for a second, a small smile appeared on his face, "Man, I had a weird dream,"

"Yeah? Clowns or midgets?" Kim just rolled her eyes and was about to leave the bathroom when she heard her phone ring. Quickly, she answered it, giving Dean and Sam a look as they watched her. Dean mentioned for Kim to put the phone on speaker after Kim mentioned it was Ellen, but just as Sam suspected, she refused. Rapidly, Dean reached out and grabbed her phone, putting it on speaker for her.

"I said I was sorry, I forgot," Kim sighed, talking to Ellen as she gave Kim an ass-whoopin' because she didn't ring on Christmas.

"Yeah well, Jo says Merry Christmas," Ellen replied.

"Tell her I said 'Merry Christmas' too," Kim sighed sorrowfully, "Merry Christmas, Ellen,"

"Yeah, Merry Christmas my ass," Ellen said roughly, making Kim roll her eyes, "I expected more from twenty-year-olds," Kim cringed at her words and Sam watched as she stiffened up, just like his dream.

"Twenty?" Dean asked slightly angry. Kim didn't respond.

•※•

"Drive safely now, Mr Picket." the cashier said to the old man in the cream jumper as the three of them walked into the same dinner as yesterday. Sam watched, a perplexed expression on his face as he watched the old man push past them and out the door. He could have sworn he saw him yesterday.

"Yeah, yeah."

The three of them find a booth, the exact same as yesterday and in the same position as yesterday. Just as they sat down, Dean turned to Kim as Sam looked around, bewildered.

"So, twenty," Dean said.

"Shut up," she replied. Dean smirked and looked around the cafe as Sam listened to their conversation, just like yesterday.

"Hey. Tuesday. Pig in a poke," Dean said with a smile, pointing to the specials menu. Sam glanced between Dean and the poster.

"It's Tuesday?" Sam asked, slightly alarmed.

"Yeah."

"Are you boys ready?" she asked as Kim stuck her head out from behind Sam, revealing herself, "Oh, sorry, didn't see you there," she apologised to Kim.

"Yes, I'll have the special, side of bacon and a coffee," Dean smirked as Sam stared for a minute, a look of trouble across his face as he tried to act as normal as he could.

"Uh, nothing for me, thanks." Sam nodded rapidly, Doris nodded.

"And I'll have-" she paused for a second, "the eggs Benedict, please," Doris nodded.

"Let me know if you change your mind," Doris said to Sam as she walked off.

"I'm telling you, Sam, this job's small fry. We should be spending our time hunting down Bela." Dean sighed as Kim nodded, but Sam didn't respond, looking at the waitress, "Hey." Dean snapped his fingers at Sam, "You with me?"

"What?" Sam asked blankly.

"You sure you feeling okay?" Kim asked, looking over at Sam, he sighed, thinking if the right words today.

"You don't-you don't remember? Any of this?" Sam stuttered, looking around.

"Remember what?" Dean asked, trying to figure out what he was talking about.

"This. Today. Like it's-like it's happened before?"

"You mean like déjà vu?" Kim asked.

"No, I mean like, like it's really happened before."

"Yeah. Like déjà vu." Dean continued.

"No, forget about déjà vu," Sam Ellie's with a sigh, "I'm asking you if it feels like we're living yesterday all over again."

"Okay, how is that not dé-" Sam cut him off angrily.

"Don't, don't say it! Just don't even..." Sam trailed out as Doris arrived with arrives with a tray with one coffee and the hot sauce. She smiled sweetly as she served the drinks and Sam watched closely.

"Coffee, black, and some hot sauce for the-oops! Crap!" Sam noticed the hot sauce wobble on the tray and caught it as it falls. Doris gasped as Kim smirked. Sam stared at the bottle intensely, he could have sworn that exact thing happened yesterday, "Thanks." Doris laughed in glee, taking the bottle from Sam and putting it down and left.

"Nice reflexes." Kim huffed a laugh. Sam didn't say anything, he just looked at the bottle on the table, still extremely perplexed.

As they walk out onto the street, a dog barked at them as they walked by. Sam noticed it was the Sam dog tied to the same bike rack as yesterday. He stared back at the dog over his shoulder as Kim and Dean tried to make sense of what Sam was talking about. Sam looked behind him, to see Kim was there, unable to fit in the line as they walked on the sidewalk.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know what the hell you're talking about," Dean said as they walked down the street.

"Okay, look, yesterday was Tuesday, right?" Dean furrowed his eyebrows as she listened to Sam, "But today is Tuesday too." Sam sounded angry that no one understood what he was talking about. Dean looked over his shoulder to Kim and she just shrugged, having no idea what he was talking about.

"Yeah. No. Good. You're totally balanced," Dean sassed.

"Yesterday was Monday, Sam," Kim explained.

"So you don't believe me?" Sam asked frustrated and very confused. Dean just laughed a bit as a response as a blonde girl crashed into him.

"Excuse me," she stammered, walking past. Sam looked around as if he was waiting for someone to remember her from yesterday, a scrunched-up and confused expression tainted his face.

"Look, I'm just saying that it's crazy, you know, I mean, even for us crazy. Dingo ate my baby crazy. Hey, maybe it was another of your psychic premonitions." Dean mentioned, but Sam instantly shook his head.

"No, no way, way too vivid," Sam sighed and tried to explain, "Okay, look, we were at the Mystery Spot, and then-"

"And then what?" Dean asked as Kim listened.

"Then I woke up," Sam muttered as they walked past two movers, trying to shove a table through a building door. "Wait a minute! The Mystery Spot. You think maybe it-"

"Maybe what?"

"We gotta check that place out, man. Look, just, go with me on this, okay?" Sam insisted.

"All right, all right, we'll go tonight, after it closes, get ourselves a nice long look." Dean agreed, Kim nodded her head behind them. Sam realized what Dean had just said and whipped around to him.

"Wait, what? No." Sam said quickly, a little too quickly. Kim was now next to them since they stopped walking and could finally join the conversation.

"Why not?: Kim asked. Sam turned to her with an urged look on his face.

"Uh. Let's just go now. Right now. Business hours, nice and crowded," Sam replied. As they were about to walk off, Sam stopped them and turned to Kim, pulling his gun out of his waistband, "Use this."

"My God, you're a freak," Dean answered, walking off after Kim confused and hesitantly took the gun.

"Dean."

"Okay! Whatever. We'll go now." Kim huffed at them. Dean walked off first and Sam followed him. Kim put the gun on her waistband but it wouldn't fir. She sighed, trying to shove the gun in but her pants were too tight. She never wore skin-tight jeans on a hunt, it wasn't practical.

"Dean!" Kim heard Sam scream, a loud crash was heard throughout the streets. Kim looked up to see Sam hovering over Dean, bloodied and bruised, lying in the middle of the road. Kim dropped the gun and sprinted to Dean, a firm expression settled across her face. "Dean, no, no, no." Kim instantly put pressure on Dean's head wounds as he looked up at her, struggling to breathe. It was no use, it was useless.

"Come on, Dean."

"Dean!" Kim belted, his eyes falling shut.

•※•

Sam jolted awake, slightly gasping for air as he woke to the sound of 'Heat of the moment' playing on the radio.

"Rise and shine, Kim and Sammy!" Dean shouted over the music as he tied his shoelaces on the bed, nodding and pointing to Sam as the song played.

•※•

Sam watched from outside the bathroom as Kim brushed her teeth and Dean gargled, long and loud.

•※•

Kim's phone range.

"I expected more from a twenty-year-old," Ellen snapped.

"Twenty?" Dean asked, slightly angry as Kim cringed.

•※•

"Hey. Tuesday. Pig in a poke," Dean smiled pointing to the board.

"Would you listen to me, Dean and Kim? Because I am flipping out." Sam whispered rapidly, shaking a bit.

"Are you boys ready?" Doris asked with a smile.

"He'll take the special, side of bacon, coffee, black, nothing for me, she'll have the eggs benedict, thanks." Sam rushed, breathing quickly as he fidgeted with his fingers.

"You got it."

"Sammy, I get all tingly when you take control like that," Dean smirked as Kim huffed a laugh. She looked to Sam who didn't seem as casual as usual.

"Quit screwing around, Dean."

"Okay, okay, we're listening,"

"So, so you think that you're in some kind of a what again?" Kim asked, playing with the condiments on the table. Sam looked at her fingers as she spoke, replying to her movement in his mind.

"Time loop."

"Like Groundhog Day?"Dean asked, not believing him for a second.

"Yes, exactly, like Groundhog Day."

"Uh-huh," Dean replied, extremely animated, nodding his head rapidly.

"So you don't believe me." Dean scoffed a laugh as Kim rolled her eyes at his immaturity.

"It's just a little crazy, I mean even for us crazy, you know, like, uh-"

"Dingo ate my baby crazy?" the words fired out of his mouth rapidly as he finished off Dean's sentence.

"How'd you know I was going to say that?" Dean asked suddenly.

"Because you said it before, Dean, that's my whole point," Sam scoffed and rolled his eyes at his brother who watched him wearily. Doris came around with a tray as she served Dean his coffee.

"Coffee, black, and some hot sauce for the-whoops! Crap." Sam caught the falling hot sauce and handed it to Doris, not looking away from Dean as he did so. "Thanks." Doris laughed slightly, putting the sauce on the table.

"Nice reflexes," Dean said slowly, starting to believe his brother.

"No. I knew it was going to happen." Sam explained blatantly.

"Okay, look, I'm sure there's some sort of an explanation-"

"You're just going to have to go with me on this, Dean, you just have to, you owe me that much," Sam said rapidly and angrily, looked to Kim for a response and she just shrugged and nodded.

"Calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down. I can't calm down. I can't. Because-" Sam began to breathe heavily as she spoke, his words getting faster by the minute.

"Because what?" Dean asked after Sam stopped suddenly.

"Because you die today, Dean."

"I'm not gonna die. Not today."

"Twice now I've watched you die, and I can't. I won't do it again, okay?" Sam turned to Kim was looked very confused as she shuffled in her corner, "I don't know about you, you don't die. Really, you don't do anything! But you wake up the same as me and remember nothing. You're just going to have to believe me. Please." Sam said solemnly, he looked as if he was about to lose his mind. Dean watched as his brother pleaded with him- with them to believe him.

All right. I still think you're nuts, but okay, whatever this is, we'll figure it out." Sam nodded, sighing slightly.

•※•

The dog barked.

Kim was pushed to the back.

"Excuse me." the blond girl said she rushed past Dean.

The movers argued about getting the table through the building door.

"And you think this cheesy-ass tourist trap has something to do with it?" Dean asked as they walked down the street, Kim and Dean not really noticing the things going on around them as if they were seeing it for the first time.

"Maybe it's the real deal, you know? The magnetic fields bending spacetime or whatever," Sam replied.

"I don't know, it all seems a little too X-Files for me."

"Well, I don't know how else to explain it, Dean!" Sam replied getting frustrated.

"All right, all right, we'll go tonight after they close, get ourselves a nice long look," Dean said.

'No, no, no, no, no, we can't."

"Why not?"

"Because you-"

"I what?" Sam doesn't say anything, "I die there?"

"Blown away, actually."

"Huh. Okay, we go now." Dean started to walk forward as Kim looked at her surroundings behind them, not really noticing anything. Sam rushed to stop him from walking onto the road. Just in the nick of time, Sam pulled Dean away as the car zoomed past.

Dean looked from the car to Sam, and them back at the car.

"Wait, did he?" Dean asked.

"Yesterday, yeah."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Did it look cool, like in the movies?" Dean smirked, etching his brother on. Sam stared blankly at Dean as he smirked, eager to wipe that smile off his face for joking around while he was suffering.

"You peed yourself, Dean," Sam replied. Dean looked at his brother and then at Kim, who had a smirk on her face as she listened to the story, catching up with the boys.

"Of course I peed myself. Man gets hit by a car, you think he has full control over his bladder? Come on!" Dean yelled, re-earning his masculinity before looking carefully before crossing the road. The two of them followed.

•※•

"Boys, I can't tell you how much I appreciate this. We could use all the good ink we can get," the owner of the 'Mystery Spot' said.

"How long have you owned the place, Mr Kopiak?" Sam asked.

"My family's been guarding the secrets here since you don't want to know when." he said looking to Dean-who was taking down the notes-wanting him to add that specific part to their 'article'.

"So you'd know if anything strange happened."

"Strange? Strange happens here all the time. It's a Mystery Spot." Mr Kopiak smiled with his weird outfit a pristine haircut.

"Stranger than normal," Kim added, Mr Kopiak looked to her with a strange look.

"What exactly does that mean?" Sam intervened, going back to Mr Kopiak's answer.

"Well, uh, it's where the laws of physics have no meaning." Mr Kopiak said, looking at Dean to see if he had written it down.

"Okay, like how?" Sam asked, getting angry. He looked up at them, a grin on his lips.

"Take the tour,"

"Dexter Hasselback-the man that went missing. Did he take the tour?" Kim asked, raising an eyebrow. The owner's grin dropped, moving back a bit.

"Uh, uh, hold on a minute, what kind of article is this?" he asked hesitantly.

"Just answer the question," Sam spat.

"The police scoured every inch of this place. They couldn't find that man. I've never seen him before. We're a family establishment-" Mr Kopiak rambled.

"Listen to me. There is something weird going on here. Now do you know anything about it or not?" Sam said lowly, getting up in the owners face.

"Okay. Look. Guys. Um. Give me a break. I bought the joint at a foreclosure auction last March, all right? Hell, I used to sell bail bonds," he sighed nervously. Sam stared at him, stone-faced.

"Okay, Kopiak, let's get some air." Dean steered Sam outside as Kim followed. They both could tell he was getting very tense, about to explode.

"I hate to say it, but that place is exactly what I thought. Full of crap." Dean said to Sam, out on the street.

"Then what is it, Dean, what the hell is happening to us?" Sam yelled.

"I don't know. All right, lemme just, so, every day I die." Dean summarized, looked to Sam for confirmation.

"Yeah." Sam nodded, slightly pissed.

"And that's when you wake up again, right?"

"Yeah."

"So let's just make sure I don't die. If I make it to tomorrow, then maybe the loop stops and we can figure all this out." Dean shrugged as if it was obvious.

"You think?"

"Yeah, why not?" Kim shrugged.

"I say we grab some takeout and head back to the motel, lay low until midnight." Sam nodded.

"All right, good. Who wants Chinese?" Dean smirked and started to walk forward. He had only taken two steps when he was flattered by a falling desk. Shocked and Shook, Sam looked up to see the two movers looking out the window apologetically. Kim ran to Dean, an emotionless expression across her face. You wouldn't be able to tell she was broken, her poker face was perfect. But her heart sank like it was the first time she saw Dean die.


	29. Chapter Twenty-Seven

Heat of the moment played.

Kim's phone rang.

They sat in the same diner, in the same spot and eating the same meals telling the same stories.

"I still think you're nuts, but whatever this is, we'll figure it out," Dean said, looking at his brother.

"Thanks,"

"So. Uh. You're stuck in Groundhog Day. Why? What's behind it?" Kim asked, looking at Sam.

"Well, first I thought it was the Mystery Spot. Now I'm not so sure." Sam explained, again.

"What do we do?" Dean asked, looking for instructions.

"Try to keep you breathing, try to make it to tomorrow. That's the only thing I can think of."

"Shouldn't be too hard." Dean shrugged, along with Kim.

"Yeah, right, Dean, I've watched you die a few times now and I can't ever seem to stop it. Kim can't either."

"Well, nothing's set in stone. You said I order the same thing every day, right?" Dean asked and Sam nodded.

"Yeah. Pig in a poke, side of bacon," he turned to Kim, "Eggs Benedict." Dean turned to Doris and smiled,

"'Scuse me, sweetheart," Dean said with a smirk. Doris turned around and smiled at him. "Can I get sausage instead of bacon?" he turned to Kim, "and she'll have pancakes."

"French toast," Kim corrected quickly, not wanting a plate of pancakes in front of her. The brothers give her a weird look before turning back to Doris.

"Sure thing, hon," she replied, walking away.

"See? Different day already. See, if you and I decide I'm not gonna die, I'm not gonna die." Quickly Doris brings over the food.

"Thank you." Kim smiled as she received her plate of french toast. Kim looked to Dean with a smile as he stabbed his sausage with his fork and popped it into his mouth, Sam grinned. Kim went to take a bite from her french toast when her fork dropped to the floor. She groaned and she bent under the table to reach for it.

"Dean. Dean?" she heard and started to panic, pulling herself from under the table and looked up to see Dean choking.

•※•

Heat of the moment played.

Dean's shampooed head stuck out of the shower.

"You mean we can't even go out for breakfast?" Dean yelled form the shower. Sam sighed for outside the bathroom, sitting next to Kim.

"You'll thank me when it's Wednesday!" Kim sent him a weird look.

"Whatever that means," he disappeared behind the curtain and continued to shower. Kim sighed and got up from her seat just as her phone rang. She was about to answer her phone-call form Ellen when she heard a Dean yelp from the bathroom, a thud after it.

•※•

Heat of the moment played.

Sam refused to go out for breakfast, let Kim answer her phone or let Dean have a shower, let alone out of his sight.

The three of them sat at the table, eating tacos later on in the day. Dean took a bit of his taco before looking at the two in front of him.

"These tacos taste funny to you?"

•※•

Heat of the moment played.

Dean plugged in his electric shaver and got electrocuted.

•※•

Heat of the moment played.

The three of them were at the Mystery Spot in the neon green hallway with the black spiral. Sam and Kim swung at the wall with his axe. Dean grinned at the owner that was duck taped to a chair, fear all over his face.

"Everybody's fine, nobody's gonna get hurt, okay? Kim? Sammy?" They stop and turn to Dean, "Maybe you should drop the axe and let this guy go, what do you say?"

"Something's gotta be going on here. I intend to find out what." Sam looked at Kim, "Keep swingin'" Sam picked up his axe and started swinging.

"Place is torn up pretty good, dude. Time to give it a rest." Dean sighed, pulling Kim away from the wall. Sam looked extremely flustered but the two of them just didn't understand. They couldn't understand what he was going through.

"No! I'm gonna take it down to studs," Sam yelled, extremely tense.

"Sammy, that's enough, give me the axe," Dean ordered, but Sam never followed orders. Dean grabbed the axe in his hands but Sam tugged it back.

"Leave it, Dean."

"Give it."

"No, you give it."

"Let it go!"

"No!"

"Let it go, come on!"

"Dean, leave it, please-" Dean had tugged o hard, the axe went straight through him. "Dean?" then there was a thud.

•※•

Heat of the moment played.

The three of them entered the cafe.

"Drive safely now, Mr Picket." the cashier said to the old man in the cream jumper. Sam was tense, extraordinarily tense.

"Yeah, yeah."

The three of them find a booth, the exact same as always.

"So, twenty," Dean said.

"Shut up," she replied. Dean smirked and looked around the cafe as Sam listened to their conversation, just as always.

There was a man at the counter with pancakes and maple syrup-he's been in the background of every day.

"Hey. Tuesday. Pig in a poke." Dean smiled, pointing to the poster. Sam suddenly set a pair of keys on the table.

"What are those?" Sam looked up at Dean.

"The old man's. Trust me, you don't want him behind the wheel." Sam sighed. Doris walked to them, a smile on her face.

"You boys ready?" Kim poked her head out from behind Sam, "Sorry, didn't see you there." she apologized.

"Uh, yes, we are. I'll have the special, side of bacon and a coffee." Dean said and Kim was about to answer when Sam spoke.

"Hey, Doris? What I'd like is for you to log in some more hours at the archery range. You're a terrible shot."

"How'd you know that?" she asked, shocked.

"Lucky guess," he seethed slightly.

"Okay, so you think you're caught in some kind of what, again?" Dean asked.

"Time loop."

"Like Groundhog Day."

"Doesn't matter. There's no way to stop it." Sam replied lowly, his voice layered with disappointment.

"Jeez, aren't you grumpy," dean grouched sarcastically.

"Yeah, I am. You wanna know why? Because this is the hundredth Tuesday in a row I've been through, and it never stops. Ever. So yeah, I'm a little grumpy," Sam rapidly and grumpily. "Hot sauce,"

"What?" Doris arrived with a tray.

"Coffee, black, and some hot sauce for the-whoops! Crap!" Sam snatched the hot sauce as it fell off the try, harshly placing it on the table. "Thanks."

"Nice reflexes." Dean huffed.

"I knew it was going to happen, Dean. I know everything that's gonna happen,"

"You don't know everything." Kim huffed.

"Yeah, I do."

"Yeah, right. Nice guess." Dean and Sam said at the same time. Dean stopped and looked at Sam suspiciously.

"It wasn't a guess."

"Right, you're a mind reader," they said together again, "Cut it out, Sam," they lean together in unison, "You think you're being funny but you're being really really childish! Sam Winchester wears makeup. Sam Winchester cries his way through sex. Sam Winchester keeps a ruler by the bed and every morning when he wakes up he-" Dean threw up his hands in defeat.

"Okay, enough!"

"That was cool," Kim huffed.

"That's not all. Randy the cashier? He's skimming from the register. Judge Myers? At night he puts on a furry bunny outfit." Judge Myers overheard and in surprise, knocked over his glass, "Over there, that's Cal. He's gonna rob Tony the mechanic on the way home."

"We get it, Sam." Kim stopped him.

"My point is I've lived through every possible Tuesday. I've watched you die every possible way. I have ripped apart the Mystery Spot, burnt it down, tried everything I know to save your life and I can't. No matter what I do, you die. And then I wake up. And then it's Tuesday again." Sam replied. They walk out onto the street.

"Dog," the dog barked.

"There's gotta be some way out of this,"

"Where're my dang keys?" they pass the old man-Mr. Pickett-as he looked around for his keys.

"Excuse me," Sam said and Kim waited for it.

"Excuse me." A blonde girl rushed after bumping into Dean.

"She's kinda cute." Dean puts his hands up to stop Dean from continuing, Kim found it slightly amusing all while, completely shocked, "Hey. All the times we've walked down this street, I ever do this?"

"'Scuse me, miss!" Dean comes back with a piece of paper, one she had always been holding in her hands time after time. It was a 'Missing' paper. "Hundred Tuesdays and you never bothered to check what she was holding in her hands?" Dean scoffed. Dam shrugged, "It's the guy who went missing." The name on the paper was 'Dexter Hassleback', the missing man from the newspaper clipping.

"Yeah?" Kim shrugged, they already knew that.

"That's his daughter back there." Sam grabbed the flyer and ran to the girl, the two of them followed. Sam went to talk to the girl as Dean looked at the dog.

"Ma'am?" The dog growled at Dean as he approached.

"Hey, buddy! Does somebody need a friend? Good boy-aaah!"

•※•

Heat of the moment played.

Dean and Kim were eating in the cafe while Sam was on his laptop, a very serious expression on his face. In the background, a man with pink syrup was eating his pancakes at the bar.

"So the police report says Dexter Hasselback is a professor, but that's not all he is," Sam said.

"What is he?" Dean asked.

"I talked to his daughter. Guy's quite the journalist. Columns in magazines, a blog. The Man leaves," Kim scoffed, "He writes about tourist attractions. Mystery spots, UFO crash sites-he gets his kicks debunking them. I mean, he's already put four of these places out of business. Here." Sam turned his laptop to face Dean. Onscreen was the biography of the author of the blog 'The Hasselback Report' with a picture of Hasselback and a headline.

"'Dexter Hasselback, truth warrior?'" Dean reads aloud, "More like a pompous schmuck, you ask me."

"Yeah, tell me about it. I mean, I've read everything the guy's ever written, and he must have weighed a ton, he was so full of himself," Sam scoffed. Kim grabbed the laptop and read the article as the boys talked.

"When'd you have time to do all this research?"

"Come on," Sam replied, taking his laptop from Kim and getting up. Kim huffed at his actions and followed, her lips turning to a smirk.

"What an asshole," Kim laughed a bit, "I mean, it's kinda funny. This guy craps all over this 'Mystery Spot' and then vanishes into one." Dean laughed and looked at Kim, a smile on his face.

"It's kinda poetic, you know, just desserts." Dean laughed. Sam stopped and looked at the two of them, smirks on their faces.

"You're right, that is just desserts." Sam looked around the cafe when he noticed something different, something different from the last hundred time he had entered that cafe. He noticed the man abandoned plate; usually with maple syrup, now with pink. Sam looked shaken, both of them noticed.

"What's wrong?" Sam watched as the man who was eating at that plate exited the cafe, not looking back.

"Guy has maple syrup for the last hundred Tuesdays, all of a sudden he's having strawberry?" Sam breathed in shock.

"It's a free country. Man can't choose his own syrup, huh? What have we become?"

"Not in this diner. Not today. Nothing in this place ever changes. Ever. Except me."

•※•

Heat of the moment played.

Sam jerked awake.

"Rise and shine, Kim and Sammy!" Dean said over the radio, tying his shoes.

They were sitting in the same spot at the same cafe eating the same food, the man was eating his pancakes with maple syrup. Sam watched him closely.

"So you think you're caught in some kind of what, again?"

"Eat your breakfast." Sam orders, earning a laugh from Kim. The man got up and left, Sam followed.

"What's in the bag?" Dean asked as he got up and followed Sam, Kim followed.

Sam was walking fast, his pace quickened as he stalked the man. The two followed him at a quick pace. Suddenly, Sam slammed the man against a nearby fence, holding a wooden stake to his neck.

"Hey!" the man screamed in terror. Sam only pushed harder.

"I know who you are. Or should I say, what." Sam seethed.

"Oh my god, please don't kill me." he pleaded. Kim and Dean looked at each other, Sam harassing the man.

"Uh, Sam?" Dean muttered.

"It took me a hell of a long time but I got it," Sam spat applying more pressure. Kim shuffled on her feet, unable to stop Sam. Sam seemed slightly loud of himself, figuring out what had happened.

"What?" the man asked, confused.

"It's your MO that gave you away. Going after pompous jerks, giving them their just desserts-your kind loves that, don't they?" Sam continued.

"Yeah, sure, okay." He would say anything to get out of that situation. The man glanced nervously at Dena don Kim, his eyes lingered on Kim for a while, "Just put the stake down!"

"That's enough, Sam," Kim said softly, trying to agitate him as she moved closer.

"No! There's only one creature powerful enough to do what you're doing. Making reality out of nothing, sticking people in time loops-in fact you'd pretty much have to be a god. You'd have to be a Trickster," Sam yelled and brought the wooden stake to his neck, jabbing in the man's skin. The man stuttered, his hands up in surrender. Sam seemed furious.

"Mister, my name is Ed Coleman, my wife's name is Amelia, I got two kids, for crying out loud I sell ad space-" he pleaded but Sam was having none of it.

"Don't lie to me! I know what you are! We've killed one of your kind before!" Sam yelled. Kim watched as Sam seethed, his jaw clenching. A cheeky smirk appeared on the man's lips, his face shifting to another person. Kim's eyes widened as his eye landed on her, the smirk not leaving his face.

"Actually, bucko, you didn't," the trickster sassed with a cheeky smirk, his surrendering hands dropping along with his scared expression? Sam groaned as he recognised his face, holding the stake tighter, his face stained with determination.

"Why are you doing this?" Sam asked sadly, his breath slow. The Trickster raised an eyebrow, a chummy smirk still on his lips.

"You're joking, right?" the Trickster huffed, raising an eyebrow, "You Chuckleheads tried to kill me last time. Why wouldn't I do this?"

"And Hasselback, what about him?" Kim asked, moving forward next to Sam, looking down on the Trickster.

"That putz?" he huffed, "He said he didn't believe in wormholes, so I dropped him in one." The Trickster laughed, "Then you guys showed up. I made you the second you hit town." he smirked at Kim who's expression was slightly pissed.

"So this is fun for you? Killing Dean over and over again?" Sam seethed.

"One, yes. It is fun. And two? This is so not about killing Dean. This joke is on you, Sam. Watching your brother die, every day? Forever?" the Trickster smirked.

"You son of a bitch," Sam pushed the stake into his skin.

"How long will it take you to realize? You can't save your brother. No matter what," he smirked.

"Oh yeah? I kill you, this all ends now," Sam pushed even harder, Kim was surprised he hadn't broken skin yet.

"Oh-oh, hey, whoa! Okay. Look. I was just playing around," the Trickster rushed, putting his hands up again, "You can't take a joke, fine. You're out of it. Tomorrow, you'll wake up and it'll be Wednesday. I swear,"

"You're lying."

"If I am, you know where to find me. Having pancakes at the diner," Sam looked at Dean, then back at the Trickster.

"No. Easier to just kill you," Sam seethed one last time, preparing to stabs him with the stake.

"Sorry, kiddo. Can't have that." The Trickster snapped his fingers.

•※•

The radio played.

Kim stood over her bed, stretching–different from Tuesday. Dean wasn't tying his shoes on his bed, or sing to 'Heat of the moment'.

"What, you gonna sleep all day?" Dean said, standing by the bathroom sink. Kim hugged and smirked.

"I could if I would," Kim yawned, looking to Dean tiredly who smiled at her, toothpaste all over his mouth. Kim looked to Sam sleepily,

"No Asia," Sam breathed, looking from the radio to Dean.

"Yeah, I know. This station sucks," Dean scoffed Turing back to the mirror. Sam looked at the clock radio, it said: WED... "It's Wednesday!" Sam gasped.

"Yeah, usually comes after Tuesday. Turn that thing off, will you?" Dean said roughly, chucking his hand towards the radio. Sam smiled as he listened to the song.

"What, are you kidding me? This isn't the most beautiful song you've ever heard?" Sam grinned.

"Dude, how many Tuesdays did you have?" Kim smirked. Quickly, Sam threw on a long-sleeved T-shirt.

"I don't know. I lost count," Sam said, turning to Kim, "Hey, wait. What do you remember?"

"I remember you were acting all whacked out and... running into the Trickster," Kim shrugged. Dean nodded and looked at Kim after rinsing out his mouth of toothpaste.

"Yeah, and that you're twenty," Dean reminded, raising a suggestive eyebrow.

"All right. Pack your stuff, let's get the hell out of town. Now." Sam ordered quickly, determined to get out of that town.

"No breakfast?" Dean asked.

"No breakfast," Sam confirmed deeply.

•※•

Kim and Sam were packing in the motel, Sam seemed eager to get out, quickly shoving all his belongings in a bag. Kim watched him, the little stuff she owned already packed. He moved rapidly, it was almost unnatural.

"Take a breath, Sam. Looks like you're about to faint," Kim stated as she watched him move, leaning on her packed bags.

"I just wanna get outta here," Sam said softly, continuing to move.

"I'm sure you do," Kim continued as she watched him. He didn't stop to looked at her when he spoke. There was a small silence after that as Sam's packing slowly became slowly until he stopped and slowly faced her but by now she'd looked away. Sam took a breath, still looking at her, wondering if he should bring it up.

"You did nothing," Sam said lowly, causing Kim to turn around and face him.

"What?" she asked confused.

"You did nothing. You stood there and did nothing as Dean died, over and over again," Sam looked broken. Kim inhaled deeply, not sure how to respond. She stayed silent for a moment, "Do you want Dean to die?" Kim automatically tensed and became defensive, standing straight and broadening her shoulders as she stood against the giant in front of her.

"Do you really think I want Dean to go to Hell? Hell?" she spat in disgust. Sam shuffled uncomfortable, instantly regretting what he said, "No human deserves to go to Hell. None. Okay?" she snapped. She quickly took a deep breath and whipped her face.

"You can't blame me, Sam," she sighed, "I don't remember anything." Sam looked down, ashamed.

Suddenly, there was the sound of a shotgun.

"Dean!" Sam and Kim yelled as they ran into the street. They watched as a man from the cafe an around the corner, shotgun in his hand. Dean was lying on the ground with a bloodied bullet hole through his chest. Sam ran to Deam holding onto him.

"No, no, no no no, hey, hey, come on, not today, not today, this isn't supposed to happen today, come on–" Sam realized Dean wasn't moving as Kim looked down on his, expressionless. Sam closed his eye, waiting, but nothing happened. Shocked, he opened his eyes and looked around, he was in the same position. "I'm supposed to wake up."

•※•

It's been six months since Dean died. Kim was on the road, solo once again. Sam had ditched her, suddenly became aggressive and defensive without his brother around. Kim was fine by herself, occasionally ringing Ellen or Jo. She hadn't rung them in months. She was a natural solo, doing what had to be don't. Getting the job done. It what had always happened. While Sam had never actually been alone. He always had Dean. Always. No matter how much he'd refuse it.

Kim sat herself down in her lonely motel room with a dim smile on her lips, wiggling herself into a comfortable position before grabbing her book. Opening it, she heard the satisfying fresh crunch of the spine. The old pages were rough against her fingers and the smell of dust and paper filled he nose as she took a deep breath in, admiring every inch of the book. Gently, she opened the 'Mary Poppins' first edition and began to read, the smile never leaving her lips.

She very much enjoyed reading that book. It was a complex form of art that managed to suppress her pain for as long as it took to read; which wasn't very long. Dean had been on her mind every second of every day and she thought that finally buying a new book would take her mind off him for a while, but it only brought back memories. How he used to tease her about them, taking them off her and mocking the language or how he would call her a nerd whenever she would take them out. But as she held the new book in her hand–no matter how great it felt to possess–it continued to bring her misery, because she knew that if she was still with the Winchesters, she would not have been holding that book at all. She would have seen it in that antique bookstore window, glanced at it for a satisfying moment before being yelled at by Dean, who hadn't stopped walking, to 'hurry up'.

Although it was sad; it was true.

She got a call from Bobby.

•※•

Six months ago, when Kim took her first step out if town, she swore never to step back in. It took a lot of convincing and even more phone calls from Bobby to lure her into the Mystery Spot once again, but she couldn't refuse when Bobby announced that she 'owed him one'.

When Kim walked in, Sam was already there and Bobby was kneeling down turning pages of a book that was in the centre of a chalked diagram with there candela and thee bowls of united tidied substances. Kim entered the room, their backs turned to her.

"Kim, good to see you, kid," surprisingly, Bobby walked over to her and babe he a small hug with she awkward returned. Bobby pulled back and moved to the side, Kim's eyes met Sam's as she stared at her, expressionless. Quickly, he tore his eyes away from her, completely ashamed.

"What are we doing here, Bobby?" Sam asked quickly.

"Well, it's the last place we're sure the Trickster worked his magic," Bobby huffed. Kim sighed and looked around, not sure where to settle her eyes.

"So?" Sam sassed.

"So you want this thing? I found a summoning ritual to bring the Trickster here," Bobby continued. Sam perked up, intrigued by what he said. Kim took a step forward, also intrigued.

"What do we need?" Sam asked quickly.

"Blood." Kim stayed silent as she listened to Sam's response.

"How much blood?"

"Ritual says near a gallon, and it's gotta be fresh, too," Bobby said grimly.

"So we need to drain a person dry?" Kim scoffed, Sam sent Kim a look which she didn't return.

"And it's gotta be tonight. Or not for another fifty years," Bobby continued, making the situation worse. Kim huffed and across end her arms.

"Then let's go get some," Sam said, turning to leave. Kim grabbed his shoulders and spun him around, a stern look on her face.

"You can't be serious," Kim barked as he stared down at her, a sinister expression on his face.

"Why not?" Sam growled, "this is a way we can get him back, and you don't even care." Kim looked at him, her eyes filled with merciless hatred, "You wanted Dean dead, you still do." Kim's jaw clenched, her grip on his shoulder tightened as she took a deep breath trying to compose herself.

"I don't need to prove myself to you," she seethed.

"I don't regret anything I said the day Dean died, it was all true!" Kim ripped her grip off his shoulder and licked her teeth angrily. She kept her mouth shut, sure that if she opened it, she would say something she regretted.

"You break my heart, kids," Bobby sighed at them and Kim took quick bet breaths.

"What?" Sam asked.

"Kim's right. I'm not gonna let you murder an innocent man," Bobby huffed as if it was obvious.

"Then why'd you bring me here?" Sam yelled.

"Why? Because it was the only way you'd see me! Because I'm trying to knock some sense into you! Because I thought you'd back down from killing a man!" Bobby screamed back.

"Well, you thought wrong. Leave the stuff, I'll do it myself," Sam spat.

"Sam, that's enough. You know I want Dean back as much as–"

"Obviously not!"

"Just because I won't kill a man don't mean Dean meant nothing to me!" she screamed back, shaking with anger.

"It's none of your damn business what I do!" Sam stormed.

"You want your brother back so bad?" Kim yelled, grabbing the iron knife she had with her and held it out to Sam. Sam looked at her, confused, the knife easily in his grasp. She never thought that her knife would be the one to end her.

"What?" Sam snarled as he looked down the knife.

"Better her than a civilian," Bobby said. Kim swallowed the lump in her throat.

"You're crazy, Bobby. I'm not killing you, Kim." Sam urged.

"Hey, you're the one that left me," Kim huffed as she jerked the knife towards him, begging him to take it. Sam looked at Bobby, hoping he shared the same expression.

"Sam, she's giving you an option, and no offence sweetheart, but you're not so innocent," Bobby encouraged. Kim sighed and ignored Bobby.

"Sam, if you want your brother back I'm giving you the opportunity, okay?" Bobby smirked slightly behind Kim. Sam watched Bobby, squinting his eye suspiciously. He moved to Kim, who stayed genuinely expressionless. Kim exhaled slowly, preparing herself.

"You said I did nothing to save Dean, well, now I am." Bobby walked over to Sam, putting a hand on his shoulder, supporting him. He took the knife from Kim and handed it to Sam who took it hesitantly in his giant hand. Bobby smiled up at him, nodding once as Kim stood in front of him, her eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly, softening her features with fear.

Slowly, Sam dropped the knife and Kim watched it fall to the floor. Quickly, Sam took out a wooden stake from his jacket and grabbed Bobby by the throat. Forcefully, he shoved the stake into him. They watched as Bobby fell to the ground, blood spitting out of his mouth.

"You're not Bobby," Sam muttered, watching Bobby's corpse. They watch, waiting for him to change. Nothing happened, "Bobby? Bobby! Bobby!" Sam panicked. Kim watched in shock as Sam stabbed Bobby, a small gasp escaped her lips. Bobby's corpse vanished and the stake flew over Sam's shoulder and into the Trickster's hand. Sam and Kim spun to meet his gaze, a small smirk on his lips.

"You're right. I was just screwing with you. Pretty good, though, Sam. Smart," the Trickster took a step forward, "Let me tell you, whoever said Dean was the dysfunctional one has never seen you with a sharp object in your hands. Holy Full Metal Jacket,"

"Bring him back," Sam demanded. The Trickster scoffed as he lazily swung that stake around in his hand.

"Who, Dean? Didn't my girl send you flowers? Dean's dead. He ain't coming back. His soul's downstairs doing the hellfire rumba as we speak." Kim swallowed deeply as she squinted her eyes threateningly towards him.

"Just take us back to that Tuesday-er, Wednesday–when it all started. Please. We won't come after you, I swear," Sam stuttered, begging the Trickster.

"You swear?"

"Yes," Sam exhaled. The trickster turned to look at Kim, who was now standing next to Sam.

"What about you? You're not gonna try and gank me, are ya?" the Trickster smirked. Kim pursed her lips slightly, looking at him.

"No, for Sam's sake," Kim nodded as the Trickster smirked.

"How generous," the Trickster shrugged a bit, "I don't know. Even if I could-"

"You can," Sam corrected.

"True," he smirked, "But that doesn't mean I should. Sam, there's a lesson here that I've been trying to drill into that freakish Cro-Magnon skull of yours," the Trickster jeered.

"Lesson? What lesson?" Sam asked quickly.

"This obsession to save Dean? The way you two keep sacrificing yourselves for each other?" he shook his head, "Nothing good comes out of it. Just blood and pain," he spat. Kim shuffled on her feet, "Dean's your weakness. And the bad guys know it, too. It's gonna be the death of you, Sam. Sometimes you just gotta let people go," the Trickster warned. Sam swallowed the lump in her throat.

"He's my brother," Sam stammered.

"Yup. And like it or not, this is what life's gonna be like without him." the Trickster turned to Kim, "And no matter how many puppets you add to your play, it will still end the same." Sam looked down at him, his expression slightly confused. The Trickster rolled his eyes dramatically at him, "Kim can only do so much, Sam. She's looked as hard as you have, trust me." The Trickster sent her acknowledging look as she held her back tall and straight.

"Please. Just-please," Sam begged.

"I swear, it's like talking to a brick wall!" the Trickster said, slightly pissed, "Okay, look. This all stopped being fun months ago. You're Travis Bickle in a skirt, pal," he sassed, "I'm over it."

"Meaning what?" Sam asked hopefully.

"Meaning that's for me to know and you to find out!" With that, the Trickster snapped his fingers, once again.

•※•

Sam jerked awake, sitting up in his motel bed.

He looked to the radio.

'Heat of the moment' was absent in all sense on the word.

"What, you gonna sleep all day?" Dean called form the bathroom as Kim stretched near her bed. Dean saw that Sam was staring at the radio. "I know, no Asia. This station sucks,"

"It's Wednesday," Sam breathed in delight.

"Yeah, usually comes after Tuesday," Dean scoffed, toothpaste in his mouth, "Turn that thing off," Quickly, Sam threw off his bed covers and ran to Dean, engulfing him in a hug. Kim let her arms go limp as she stared at the boys.

"Well thanks, guys, I'm feeling the love, really," she huffed a laugh.

"Come on in, group hug," Dean smirked as he called for Kim. She laughed slightly, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't do group hugs," she smirked.

"Dude, how many Tuesdays did you have?" Dean asked his brother, pulling back.

"Enough," Sam sighed, "What, uh, what do you remember?"

"I remember you were acting all whacked out and... running into the Trickster," Kim shrugged. Dean nodded and looked at Kim.

"Yeah, and that you're twenty," Dean reminded, raising a suggestive eyebrow, pointing to her. Sam nodded.

"Let's go," Sam rushed.

"No breakfast?" Dean asked doubtingly.

"No breakfast," Sam confirmed.

"All right, I'll pack the car," Dean nodded.

"Wait, you're not going anywhere alone," Dean huffed along with Kim.

"It's the parking lot, Sam," Kim scoffed.

"Just-just trust me,"

Sam, dressed and ready to go, zipped his bag up. Dean opened the door and then turned back to Sam, who was standing over his bag, Kim just stood next to him with her bag. Dean furrowed his eyebrow at Sam.

"Hey, you don't look so good. Something else happen?" Kim looked at him as he stayed silent. There was a moment where they thought he wouldn't answer at all.

"I just had a really weird dream," Sam muttered. Dean nodded slowly, Kim not convinced.

"Clowns or midgets?" Sam looked up instantly. Dean grinned at him as Sam tried to hold a smile that twitched on his lips. Dean picked up his bag and left. Sam looked down in thought until he heard a grunt from beside him. He turned his head to see Kim swing her bag over her shoulder roughly, along with the bag she held in her hand.

He watched as she staggered out the door, the words of the Trickster repeating in his mind. Only then did he realise how truly underappreciated she was.

Sam followed her as she left, stopping at the door to look back into his room and at his unmade bed. Sam turned off the lights and closed the door, glad to finally get out of the room he had stayed in for more than a hundred days.


	30. Chapter Twenty-Eight

It was only the day after the 'Mystery Spot' prank with the Trickster and Sam still had a close eye on Dean, as well as Kim. Kim didn't remember much and maybe it was for the best. That way she never remembered Sam yelling at her, accusing her of letting Dean die and going to hell. She didn't remember waking up one day, alone in a cold motel room, Sam's stuff all packed and gone, along with the Impala. She didn't remember feeling useless, helpless, as Sam would put it. She didn't remember throwing a fit, chucking all her files on the floor. She didn't remember refusing to call Sam or pick up Bobby's calls. She didn't remember anything, but she could tell that Sam had changed since then, but then again, it had only been a day.

Kim sat alone in the back of the parked Impala, digging through her duffel bag and she had grazed an unfamiliar object at the bottom. Squinting in confusion, she grabbed the object and pulled it out, glancing at it for a second and thinking back to the last thing she remembered. She remembered nothing.

She gazed upon the first addition 'Mary Poppins' novel and read the first page, confused to how it got in her bag. She opened it to hear the satisfying crunch of the spine and the smell of dust and paper filled the air. She breathed it in heavily. She felt the rough pages between her fingers, admiring every inch of the book.

But she had no idea how she got it.

Sam and Dean got into the car, a bag of food in Dean's hand. Kim and Sam's eyes met in the rearview mirror as he shuffled in his seat. She held up the book, his eyes gazed unknowingly over it.

"Did I buy this with you?" Kim asked curiously, holding the book up. Slowly, he pursed his lips, not knowing what to say. Sam assumed she got it while she was solo. He hadn't told her that he left her alone and he had no idea what she did while he was away, he was just glad she didn't remember.

He shrugged, not saying anything. Kim raised an eyebrow and looked back at the book, happily putting it back in her bag, "Well I'm glad it's mine," she smirked looking back at the brothers, "first addition," she added.

"Nerd," Dean laughed starting the car, the engine purred.

•※•

It was the middle of the day when the brothers decided to settle in a motel, they spent the morning driving around, doing whatever they wanted. They drove through the countryside, played rock music too loud, sat alone in the middle of a field and did nothing. They deserved a break.

At the motel, Kim had managed to get her own room this time, except Sam would still peep in every now and then. She smiled every time she heard the soft knock on the door, knowing it was as Sam. She had no idea what difficulty Sam had been through, but she was surprised that he would even check up on her. She sat in her room, shuffling herself into her bed and burying her head in her new book. It was as if it was the first time she read it; it wasn't.

Expectedly, Kim heard a soft knock on the door. She sighed and placed her book down and swung the door open.

"Sam, I'm fine–just like the last time you–" she stopped herself, seeing a smirking Dean standing in front of her, one hand behind his back. Kim's lips formed into a lined smile as he stood above her, "Sam send you?" Dean shook his head slowly.

"No, no. Can I come in?" he asked. Kim shrugged and stepped aside, gesturing for him to enter. He took a few steps in, standing to the side of the room. As Kim walked in, he followed, sitting on the motel bed as she did. There was a silence where Kim's waited for him to explain why he knocked. She raised an eyebrow, waiting.

"So, twenty?" Dean smirked and Kim's face automatically dropped and she rolled her eyes, groaning, "Hey, I'm just sayin'," Dean said putting his hands up in sarcastic surrender. Kim laughed a bit, sighing.

"Yeah, twenty," she nodded.

"When?" he asked and Kim looked up at him, not sure how to answer in a non-specific way.

"Months ago," she shrugged. Dean raised an eyebrow, looking down at her as if asking for more. She rolled her eyes, "As in October,"

"That long ago?" Dean huffed at her, almost affected that she didn't say anything and she just shrugged, "Well," he said shifting a bit, "Happy twentieth birthday," he said, slowly revealing his hand from behind his back, a plastic-wrapped cupcake from the gas station down the road. Instantly, Kim's lips turned into a smile as she looked from the cupcake to Dean, "I know it's not much for–"

"No, it's perfect," she laughed happily, taking the cupcake. Dean rose a weary eyebrow at her, "Seriously," she smirked, unwrapping it. She held the deflated cupcake in her hand. It was chocolate with a flat top and a thin layer of chocolate icing, one white swirl across it.

Quickly, Dean fumbled to grab something on his pocket and took out a packet of matches, striking one and sticking it into the cupcake.

"Sorry, I don't have a candle," Kim laughed slightly as she watched him.

"A match is better, anyway." He smiled at her acceptance, although he didn't believe her statement. He sat back once the match was in position. Dean looked at Kim, waiting for her to blow it out. She huffed in acknowledgment and looked at it, blowing it out graciously.

"Happy birthday," he said once again as Kim took a bite. She sighed in satisfaction, the chocolate warming her. It wasn't much, but it was more than she could ever ask for. One bite in, she held the cupcake out for Dean, who looked at it weirdly.

"You're in January, right?" Kim asked with as a smirk appeared on Dean's lips. She knew.

"How'd you know?" he asked curiously, taking the cupcake as Kim smirked and shrugged.

"I have my ways," she answered, watching as Dean took a bite.

The two of them shared the cupcake, changing positions to lying on the bed, both of their back against the bed-rest. The two of them talked for what seemed like ages about nothing-in-particular. It was down to the last bite, Kim offered it to Dean who shook his head, "You have it," he said, as Kim popped it into her mouth, savouring the last bite. She never really celebrated her birthday, neither did Dean but both of them were glad they did this time, together.

It was nice, and although the cupcake was gone and Dean no longer had any reason to remain in her room, he stayed and talked. They smiled, chatted and laughed. Dean never got to hear it much–Kim not being a regular laughter–but he soon found that he appreciated her laugh, more then he would admit. It gave him a sense of familiarity, something to look forward to.

But her laugh quickly turned to a groan, an extreme pain shooting up her back. A firm grip tore at her heart, a clenching tension surrounded her stomach. It became hard to breath. She let out a pain as Dean panicked beside her. She curled up, the pain centring to her core. A hot white strike shot through her leg, causing it to spasm all while she tried to get away from Dean, just in case she touched him.

"Do-don't!" she stammered as she tried to breathe, her throat closing up as Dean reached for her. Quickly, he retracted his arm, listening to her. She was afraid Dean would try to help, by now he should know that there was nothing to do but wait and watch.

She screamed bloody murder, a sudden tensing in her lungs–she had lost all the air she had left. She tried desperately to take a breath, her lungs collapsing on her. Her body became numb, her muscle clenching as her breath became short and stiff. A tormenting pain struck her head, she writhed in pain.

"I–I don't know how to help you, Kim," Kim screamed, scratching her throat. The pain built and built, centring inside of her. A wave pushed it, the pain overloaded. She took a deep breath and Dean automatically went to her, holding her as she inhaled quickly. It had finished, but it was never over.

"I–I'm fine," she exhaled, shifting herself to stand up. Reluctantly, Dean let her go as she stood, her knees wobbling with vulnerability.

Vulnerable. What a disgusting word.

•※•

Dean stayed with Kim a little bit more before leaving, returning to his motel room before Sam threw a fit. Kim stayed in her motel room as the day turned to night and the light that shone into her motel room dimmed. It wasn't long before she finished reading her book, placing it down on the bedside table beside her. She still had no idea how it managed to get into her bag and it irritated her that she most likely would never know.

Moving on from her book, she looked to her laptop for entertainment but it soon became unamusing. She sighed, chucking her laptop off her lap and grabbing her duffel bag. She pulled out her guns and knives, cleaning them and placing them on her bed. She grabbed her shotgun and polished it spotless. Then she picked up her iron knife, holding it firmly by the handle. It was a short knife, almost like a dagger. Its small figure caused people to underestimate its power but paired with Kim, the knife couldn't be more deadly.

She polished the knife, her eyes dangling over the blade still indecisive about what should be engraved on it. She ran her finger slowly down the blade, a faint smile tainted her lips. Slowly, she glided the knife through the air gracefully, the motel light glistened against the blade before she quickly struck it down. The knife sliced the air, creating a fierce noise. She smiled and held the blade proudly in her hand when there was a knock on the door.

Slowly, she got up from her spot and went to the door, opening it. Sam stood outside the door, a small smile on his face as she leaned on the door-frame, looking up at him.

"Hey, Sam," Kim smiled up at him.

"Dean and I are going out to a bar in town, wanna come?" he asked casually. Kim wasn't entirely sure if she should go, she never really did much when she got there and she wouldn't be able to get a drink without one of the brothers knowing.

"I'm not sure, Sam," she sighed, thinking about it.

"Well, I'm not leaving you or Dean alone, so you're coming." Kim sighed with a smile, before nodding.

"I'll be ready in ten," she smirked as Sam nodded, turning to leave as Kim closed the door. She smirked to herself, feeling like they deserved a night out, especially after the Trickster. Sam just needed to clear his mind for a bit to realise that Dean and Kim were going to die.

Kim turned to her bag and shuffled to grab some clothes, grabbing a pair of black ripped jeans, a black singlet and a flannel, tying it around her waist. Grabbing a clean and more fashionable pair of sneakers and chucked them on. She ripped her hair-tie out and let her hair fall onto her shoulder, adding a touched of eyeliner on her top and bottom waterline and mascara. She didn't apply match, in fear of looking too girly and caked, she applied and smudged just enough to make her look fierce, the way she liked it.

Kim was never one to wear makeup, especially when she was going on a hunt or casually going out it after her latest hunt, she felt like dressing up a little was due. She didn't overdo her makeup, it was dark but it was subtle, just enough in her opinion.

Grabbing her black backpack stuffed with the essentials, she swung it over her shoulder and swayed her way to Sam and Dean's motel room. With a sly knock on the door, Dean opened it and looked down at her, a smile on his lips. His eye traced her as she leaned on one leg with a hand on her hip. She stood with power, a small smirk on her lips. An overall fierce aura radiated off of her.

"Ready to go?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Dean smirked down at her, Sam looking over his shoulder and down at Kim as well. Even with the two boys towering over her, she felt confident and powering, like she was in charge for once. Sam smiled when he saw her, but she didn't notice or did she notice Dean admiring her figure. She just turned around and walked, waiting for the boys to follow.

"Let's go, Sammy," Dean breathed, not tearing his eyes off Kim as he playfully slapped Sam in the chest.

•※•

The three of them marched they way into the bar, the two boys behind her as she led the way. Pushing the door open, the three of them entered the busy bar, the light of the night illuminating from behind them. Powerfully, the three of them made their way to the bar, all sitting on a bar stool.

Kim looked around the bar with interest. All the ladies were in much fewer clothes than she was and all the men were dancing with them, drinking with them or flirtatiously teasing them. Kim leaned against the bar, Dean already had a drink in his hand.

"Busy, huh?" Dean stated, looking around the bar.

"Uh, yeah," Sam nodded, still being cautious. Kim smiled at him and slightly pet his arm teasingly.

"Don't worry, Sam. Dean's still breathing," she smirked as Sam smiled down at her awkwardly. Sam's eyes seemed so sad as they wandered over her face, his smile faulting. There was still a pain shallow in his heart that couldn't be removed after watching his brother die over and over again, each time as painful as the first. But as his eyes watched her, a sudden wave of realisation crashed over him he didn't get before.

Kim was genuinely willing to sacrifice herself for Dean.

She was not a figure of his imagination or an illusion from the Trickster. That was her, in blood and flesh. Even after everything Sam and done to her, yelling, screaming, leaving her, she still stayed true.

An overwhelming strike of guilt fell on Sam as he sipped his beer, his eyes not leaving her as she looked over the bar. Sam could never admit what he did to her, he tried to push it back to the furthest corner of his mind, just like the image of Dean dying.

Sam let out a loud sigh as Dean was on his second shot already. Kim ordered a beer gaining a stern look from Dean. Kim didn't break eye contact with him as she took her first sip, sighing dramatically in satisfaction.

Kim never really did much at bars. She didn't hustle–although she knew she could–and she didn't flirt. She just sat and enjoyed her drink for as long as she could. No one normally come up to her, she either looked scary or unsatisfying. She didn't mind, she prefers to be alone, honestly. The only reason she was really there was to give Sam some peace of mind, but she did believe she deserved a night off.

Soon, Dean was off hustling some pull and flirting with some chicks and Sam was still sitting at the bar, three beers down. Kim looked over at him, and although they were together, they both looked alone.

"How'ya going there, Sam?" Kim asked casually. Sam looked at her and smiled.

"I'm fine. You?"

"Fine," Kim nodded, her lips pressed into a line. Her eyes lingered on the dance floor in front of them, she looked up at the unamused Sam. She took a sip of beer, "How about we try and get your mind off of yesterday... yesterdays?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows. Sam chuckled a bit and nodded.

"If you can, I'm more than willing to try," Sam laughed deeply, a smile on his lips. Kim smiled and nodded, looking around.

"How about her?" Kim pointed to a young brunette girl. She seemed sophisticated enough for Sam, wearing as much, maybe a bit fewer clothes than Kim. She sipped a cocktail alone on a table, her eyes lingered the dance floor, "looks like she wants to dance."

"I'm not going to flirt with her, if that's what you're saying," Sam laughed a bit.

"Hey, you're the one that agreed," Kim slightly laughed back.

"I thought you meant a game... not a girl," Sam admitted. Kim nodded and looked around, her eyes landing on that girl again. A man had walked up to her and kiss her on the cheek, the couple got up and left, "She was taken, anyway."

"Fine, a game, let's play a game," she said in thought trying to think of something, "let's guess how long it takes for that blonde over there," Kim pointed to a blonde girl with a martini in her hand, "to make her way over to Dean," Kim smirked. Sam scoffed but nodded.

"Half an hour," Sam guessed but Kim scoffed.

"Ten minutes," Kim guessed as Sam huffed a nod. The two of them continued to talk, and about six minutes later, the blonde and found her way to Dean. Kim laughed and sipped her beer, nodding to herself.

"Damn right, I win," she bowed sarcastically as Sam playfully applauded her. She huffed once before finishing her beer, setting it down on the bar.

"You want another one?" the bartender asked quickly, taking the empty bottle away.

"She's fine, thanks," Sam answered for her. The bartender looked at Sam and smiled awkwardly, leaving the two alone.

"Thanks, Sam. I have your brother on my back about it and now you?" Kim huffed and she traced her finger around a ring of condensation on the bar.

"I was always on your back about it, just more subtle," Sam explained with a smile, teasingly taking a sip of beer. Throughout there journey together so far, the two of them hadn't gotten along extremely well, but when Sam stopped being paranoid and Kim learned to loosen up a bit, they learnt that they enjoyed each other's company very much. Sam soon discovered that Kim was kinder than she portrayed herself or would ever admit to being, but she was as scary as she seemed–opposite to Sam who was scarier than he seemed and as kind as he looked.

Sam excused himself to go to the bathroom as Kim stayed back and enjoyed the music they played, changing from the classic pop to punk rock. She nodded her head along before moving her eyes to Dean, a girl lingering on him as he enjoyed the view of herself pressing against him, giving him a front-row view of her chest.

He smirked down at her, she looked up submissively. She guessed that's what Dean liked, submissive women ready to do whatever he wanted. Girls gawking over him as he flirted, using his masculine charm to get what he wanted. It was what he was used to, winning the fight.

Kim wasn't submissive, not in any sense. She was her own person, and she definitely didn't need someone to make her feel worthy.

Kim watched with slanted eyes as the bartender from before waked up to her, leaning on the bar, getting comfortable, as he was preparing to stay there for a long time. Kim's eyes met his grey coloured eyes before scanning along the busy bar.

"The bar seems a little too busy for you to be talkin' to me, don't ya think?" Kim raised an eyebrow with a slight smirk on her lips. He returned the smile, a warm husky voice leaving his lips.

"If they want anything, they're just gonna have to wait. I'm serving someone else," he breathed, looking Kim up and down, just as Dean had. Kim just smirked at him, "You're boyfriend back there seemed a little possessive, not letting a stunning girl like you have another drink." Without breaking eye contact, he grabbed a beer from below and popped it open, pushing it towards her, "On the house," Kim nodded in gratitude, taking a sip.

"He's not my boyfriend," Kim corrected, "just a friend," The bartender's lips formed a grin, his eyes darkening a bit.

"Perfect," he whispered lowly, just loud enough for Kim to hear.

"Perfect?" Kim questioned with a smirk, playing along. Ever since she had been with the boys, dragging her out to nightclubs and bars for 'research', she had quickly learnt the art of flirting, no longer becoming awkward around random men that approached her. It was something she had to learn for the job, but that didn't mean she couldn't use it in her free time.

This didn't mean she didn't prefer being alone, because she did, she just learnt to flirt to her advantage. Instead of awkwardly being stuck in a corner while the guy tried to flirt, she was flirting back, pushing them to their limit before seductively turning them away, leaving them for the strippers down the street.

But she would much prefer for them to not approach her at all, this was just an easy way out.

"Yes, perfect," was all he said in reply. Kim looked around the bar, trying to find a way out of this situation. She looked towards the male bathrooms, trying to see if Sam had come out yet and low and behold, he was stuck in the same situation that she was. He smiled awkwardly at the girl who approached him, trying to slip past her in a way that didn't seem rude or offensive. He was stuck. Kim looked up at the bartender, a fake goofy smile on her lips.

"Excuse me while I go save my friend," she said planning to slip off the bar stool and walk over to him and saving him form the clingy girl that had managed to drape her arm across Sam's waits.

She went to move, but a strong hand grabbed her wrist. She looked up at the bartender, a devilish grin on his lips.

"He seems like he can take care of himself," the bartender smirked, looking at Sam. She followed his gaze to Sam, her lips on his. Kim slowly moved her wrist out of his grasp as her eyes shifted back to his.

"I guess so," she sighed, taking a sip of her beer. Her reason to leave was gone, normally she would have found a way out by now.

"The name's Toby,"

"Harper," The bartender nodded before leaning closer to her.

"Nice name," he complimented as Kim took her elbows off the table, in case he decided to grab her again. Kim looked around, trying to find something.

"Yeah, it's a good one," Kim said, not bothering to look him in the eyes as she sassed him, taking a sip of beer.

"So, what's got a girl like you all alone at the bar?" he asked. Kim looked back at him, her eyes not finding an excuse to leave.

"I'm not alone, I came with my friends," she corrected.

"Well that certainly didn't last long," he commented, gesturing to her being all alone. She sighed and took a sip.

"You get used to it," she replied with a fake smile.

"A girl like you shouldn't have too, sweet-cheeks," he replied, leaning closer. He rested the top half of his torso on the bar, staring deeply into her eyes. The bar was dark, she had just noticed the deep blue eyes he had, staring into her chocolate ones. Kim faked a smile, attempting to flirt long enough for a distraction to come along. "You should smile more,"

"Should I?" she teased.

"Absolutely," he grinned, "the tough-ass look disappears when you do," Kim grinned and leaned over the bar, her butt lifted off the stool as she stood on her tip-toes, her lips to his ears.

"That's why I don't." He smirked at her as she leaned back, the balls of her feel pressed to the ground, taking another sip of beer. Toby looked around another bartender and entered the bar.

"I'm off in five minutes," he stated, "I know a nice place we can go," Kim huffed once, not loud enough for him to hear as she retreated back to her stool.

"I'm sure you do," she grinned, trying not to seem awkward, "but I'm not gonna be there any time soon," she replied, placing her beer on the bar. The same hand gripped her wrist tight again, as she placed the beer down.

"Don't be a tease," he said huskily, his voice turned to a growl. "You'll love it."

This is why Kim didn't flirt.

Kim would have easily kicked this guys ass. Her eyes gazed over him and determined he was an easy kill, not bothering to reach for the iron knife in her waistband. His stance was wrong, his grip was weakening with each second he held onto her and his attention was breaking, scared someone would see his assault. The only thing stopping Kim was the bar in between them, the number of people in the room and the fact that Sam and Dean would see.

Kim's smile dropped back to her merciless expression, a small sense of a menacing smirk dangled on her lips.

"Are you sure about that?" she asked deeply. Her eyes thinned threateningly towards him.

Suddenly, there was a strong grip around her waist, stronger than the one on her wrist. It squeezed her side protectively. She felt two presences behind her, more dominant and stronger than the one in front of her. Without even looking, she knew Sam and Dean were there, towering over everyone in their way. She could feel the deadly glare they were giving Toby.

"There a problem here?" she heard Dean say deeply. She followed the arm around her waist and trailed it up to Dean, before turning to Sam, both their faces stern and forceful.

"No," Kim replied quickly, Toby releasing her grip and chucked her hand away.

"That's what I thought." Kim grabbed her beer and took the last swing, placing it back on the bar and standing up next to Sam and Dean. She was much shorter than them, but she looked just as powerful. Dean's hand never fleet her waist. Toby's stance weakened as Kim smirked, pointing to the beer.

"I forgot to say thanks," she replied, reminding him that it was 'on the house'. With that, the three of them turned to leave.

They were out in the parking lot. The sky had gotten darker since they entered the bar, it was close to midnight. As they exited, Dean dragged his hand off of Kim as they brothers stood on either side of her, walking to the car. They were quiet, they didn't say anything. The anticipation was building up with every step they took, she knew Dean was going to blow.

Stepping towards the car, Kim went to open the back door but a big hand covered the handle. She sighed, looking up a Dean as he looked down at her. Sam was standing on the other side of the car, watching over the hood.

"I could have handled him," Kim scoffed, answering Dean's unspoken question.

"How am I supposed to believe that when you did nothing?" Dean asked, raising an angry eyebrow.

"I never asked you to trust me," she replied deeply, licking her teeth. Dean growled lowly, "I didn't ask for your help," There was a silence.

"That's the problem," Sam replied solemnly, "You never ask for help," Sam looked up, meeting Kim's eyes. She shrugged.

"It's 'cause I don't need it,"

"What about when you do need it?" Dean questioned deeply, his voice low and angry, "What about the when the bastard drags you outside? Or grabs your thigh? God forbid you forget your knife one time, and you don't ask for help!" Dean screamed.

"I would kick his ass!" Kim replied angrily, offended he didn't think she could take him. It made her wonder if he thought she was a good hunter.

"What if it was a demon? You gonna beat up a demon? Or a vampire?" Dean asked coaxingly, taking a threatening step towards her.

"Guys–" Sam pleaded, trying to stop the argument.

"Damn right I will!" Kim screamed, pushing his chest away from her. Dean didn't even stumble, he was firm and straight.

"Then you're dead," Dean muttered lowly. Kim lowered her eyes dangerously, her hand curled into a fist. The night's light shadowed her face, contouring her cheekbones. She looked deadly.

"So be it," she spat, taking a step back, her expression as hard as a rock. She was true to her word, for her death meant nothing to her. That scared Sam, for only a numb person doesn't fear their own death.

"You don't mean that," Sam said sorrowfully. Kim looked up at him, a sombre look in her eyes as she glared him down.

"Don't I?" her voice was low and thick, layered with the truth. There was a silence. Kim had just realised what she had said, she softened her stance, "I'll find my own way back," Kim murmured.

Dean didn't reply, he just looked at Sam who slightly shook his head. Sam looked at Kim, but she didn't look back. She took a few steps back from the car and back towards the bar. Without a word, Dean nodded for Sam to enter the car, shocking him but he didn't refuse, just in case Dean started up again.

In hopes to suppress more trouble, Sam entered the car. Dean opened the driver door before looking at Kim, a small glimpse of regret in his eyes, but he didn't back down. His silence spoke louder than his words, and he instantly regretted it. All he wanted was to convince Kim to enter the car with him, but he was too proud.

"Just... be safe." Dean sighed before getting into the car. Kim watched as they drove off before turning to enter the bar again. Toby's shift had ended, so she wouldn't have to avoid him and suffer any awkward eye contact.

She sat at the back of the bar at a roundtable so she could observe everyone in front of her without having to worry about anyone behind her. All her senses were heightened now that she was alone, but that's how she prefered it. She knew that the brothers forgot she was solo before she met them. They just saw her as the girl Ellen took care of until they arrived, but they couldn't be more wrong. Ever since she was sixteen, she had been a solo hunter and although Ellen had tried to stop her, Kim refused.

She would never forget those two years. Solo hunting taught her what that man couldn't teach her. Two years alone, only being at the Roadhouse when Ellen forced her there.

The waitress came to her and she ordered a straight Whisky, taking a sip. It was nice to have a drink without Dean breathing down her neck. It was a peaceful experience, taking a sip of whisky without a worry. She knew Dean wasn't twenty one when he had his first drink, he didn't have to tell her that for her to know.

She sat there and sighed, tracing the rim of her glass with her fingertip. As her mind drifted, she began to realise how messed up everything was becoming. A new threat had arrived, Lilith. Recently, the three of them had learnt that she–the first demon, created by Lucifer–was out to kill them after escaping from the pits of Hell. Lilith loathed Sam, wanting him dead because he was a potential rival for leadership of Azazel's army that Lilith wanted for herself.

Lilith was an evil bitch with conniving powers and a ruthless love for Lucifer. It was sickening.

Kim's eyes traced her whisky with a despising look on her face, her gaze switching to figure above her. A tall man stood above her, a small, polite smile on his face. He seemed welcoming, his eyes soft and friendly. She didn't trust him, not at all.

"Hey– uh, is this seat taken?" he asked politely. Kim looked from him to the seat, then to her drink before looking back up at him.

"No," she replied vaguely. The man nodded slowly, taking a seat as Kim looked at her reflection in the top of her drink, wondering what dullness she had to endure for no one to approach her. Normally, she would be left alone. No one would approach her.

"Uh, my names Aaron," he held out his hand to shake.

"Harper," she shook his hand.

"What are you doing here?" he asked genuinely. Kim looked up at him with a slight glare in her stare.

"Enjoyin' the solemn loneliness," Kim replied with a sassy smile. Aaron laughed slightly and retreated a bit.

"Sorry to ruin that," he chuckled, "I guess I'll be on my way," he had got the hint, getting out of the chair with his drink. Kim was going to let him leave, she really was, and she honestly had no idea what possessed her to bring him back.

"No, stay," she insisted. Aaron looked down at her again and smiled.

"You sure?" he smiled, "I'm not ruining your loneliness?" he asked. She smiled at him as he sat back down.

"No, you are," she said slowly, "but I don't mind."

With that, the two of them started their conversation. She slipped a dash of holy water in his drink when he wasn't looking, he was clear. She managed to tap him with her iron knife under the table, he was clear. So she continued their conversations and they talked for a while. Kim refused the drink he offered her but he continued to smile.

That night, she returned with him.


	31. Chapter Twenty-Nine

Kim returned early the next morning, sneaking out of his house and calling a cab back to the motel. She left without a trace. No noise, no note, just an unsettling emptiness when Aaron woke up in a cold bed. It was as if she was never there.

She arrived at her motel room at four in the morning, there was an eery silence that filled the motel as she walked. Sam and Dean must have fallen asleep. As she walked to her motel room, Kim peeped through their motel window and saw Dean asleep on a chair while Sam was cozy in his bed. Kim rolled her eyes and went to her motel room, falling asleep for the little amount of time she had until she had to wake up.

Three hours.

She woke three hours later and rolled in her sheets, this cheap itchy material scratching her awake. She rubbed her eyes as she sat up in her bed, stretching.

She sighed and got out of bed. This motel room didn't have a specific bathroom, just a corned part if the room where a shower, toilet and skin were. The cold tiles numbed her bare feet as she stepped into the bathroom. Tiredly, she stripped her clothes, stepping out of the pile on the floor. Reaching into the shower, her eyes heavy, she turned on the water and waited for it to heat up to a scalding temperature.

Her hand steamed as she took it out from the shower, brushing against the shower curtain. The steam covered the mirror as Kim began to wake up.

Putting one foot into the shower, she felt the water against her skin. She sighed at the satisfying temperature, stepping into the shower. The hot water soaked her skin as she sighed, her muscles relaxing.

She lavished her hair with shampoo and rinsed it out, feeling the bubbles drip down her form. It was peaceful, the sound of the water falling to the floor, no other noise to be heard. Just the sweet sound of water falling and the gentle touch of the water droplets rolling off her skin. Her hand draped her skin as she washed herself, tracing some irreversible scars.

She was risking out her hair for the thick conditioner when her heard someone barge into the bathroom.

"Kim!" Dean called as he marched into the motel room and around the occupied bathroom corner. Kim groaned loudly in the shower as Dean watched her silhouette from behind the shower curtain.

"I'm kinda busy!" Kim called back, being sarcastically nice. Dean watched her figure as her hands ran through her hair. Dean laughed awkwardly, clapping his hands before spinning with a smile on his face towards the exit.

"I'm just gonna..." he stuttered.

"Yeah, you do that," she replied angrily. She couldn't even take a shower in peace. Kim heard as Dean's footsteps moved closer to the door.

"Before I go–"

"Leave!" Kim shouted at him, causing him to spin and leave, closing the bathroom door behind her. Kim grained, stepping out of the scorching shower and into a towel, during herself off.

She rushingly stepping into her clean clothes, she dried her hair with a towel before stepping out of the bathroom. Of course, Dean would be sitting on her bed. Kim stared at him with furrowed eyebrows as she exited the bathroom. Her wet hair draped over her shoulder, dampening her top.

"What is your problem?" Kim sassed as she shrugged. Dean stood up defensively.

"My problem is that I had no idea where you were last night!" Dean defended as Kim stood lazily in front of him, "You didn't call."

"Well I don't expect you to barge into my bathroom while I was having a shower," Kim answered back, "How would you like it if I did the same thing, huh?" she huffed. Dean rose an eyebrow, a smirk graced his lips. Kim rolled her eyes sarcastically, "Forget I asked."

"Well, since you offered–"

"It wasn't an offer," Kim scoffed, a small smile on her lips. Dean smirked.

"Oh, I think it was." Kim rolled her eyes with a smile, her arms crossed.

"Why are you here, Dean?" she asked with a sighed. Dean shrugged casually.

"Just making sure you're alive." Kim scoffed a laugh at him but the smile slowly fell off her face when she saw the seriousness in his eyes. Kim looked at Dean for a second before breaking eye contact, these specific words where ones she had heard before.

"You sound like Ellen." There was a silence. Neither Kim or Dean said a word for a good thirty seconds, just staring around the room, trying to avoid eye contact. With a heavy sighed, Dean turned to Kim and looked her in the eyes

"I know why you weren't back last night," Dean muttered but his voice stayed strong. Kim looked at him.

"Is that what you came to tell me? That you know I have a sex life?" Kim raised an eyebrow, a small smirk. Dean groaned and walked over to Kim, looking down on her.

"No–"

"You don't think I should have a sex life?" Kim scoffed, seeing his expression on his face. It was clear, clear as a crystal ball, although he wouldn't admit it. Dean sighed as Kim waited for him to explain.

"No..." he explained, trying to think of better words to say. He honestly didn't have an expectable answer. He just hated the thought of her out with some other guy. His eyes on her face. His hand upon her hand. His lips caress her skin. It's more than he could stand.

Kim looked up at him furiously, she breathed shallowly.

"Are you forgetting that I'm the one that sat outside in the Impala with your brother, while you had a threesome with twins?" Dean looked down at her angrily, trying to think of something to say, "Don't you start with me, Dean!"

"Just because you're twenty doesn't mean you can sleep with whoever you want!" Dean screamed as Kim backed away. He was outraged.

"I'm not a kid, Dean," Kim emended testily. Dean continuously took steps towards her.

"No," Dean said slowly, "you are the same nineteen-year-old kid I first met." Kim backed away until she couldn't anymore. Dean was right in her face, fuming as he breathed heavily. Kim looked him dead in the eyes, a menacing smirk on her lips. Angrily, she stood on her toes and gently held her lips to his ear.

"I was eighteen, actually." She pulled away, slipping out of his body barricade. Dean turned to her, watching her with weary eyes as she walked away.

"What?" he asked harshly.

"You heard me," she smirked, "eighteen and ten months,"

"You said you were nineteen," Dean squinted his eyes at her as she shrugged, picking up her duffel bag and placing it on the bed.

"Close enough," she scoffed. Dean sighed heavily, looking at her desperately.

•※•

It had been a month since that conversation, and neither Kim or Dean had brought it up again. Dean had told Sam that Kim was actually eighteen when they first met but he didn't make as much of a deal as Dean did, which Kim appreciated.

Except for a few days after the chat, Kim and Dean didn't have any awkward moment and continued their relationship as usual. Normal conversation, flirting and jokes. It was just, normal.

Kim hadn't noticed-neither did Dean-but Dean had an instinct to protect her. He would often stand near her, glance at her every now and then when she sat in the back seat of the Impala and held his back firm when he thought she was doing something she'd regret. He just wanted something better for her.

Over the year, Dean had unwillingly grown on Kim. She had discovered so much about him, good and bad. She already knew he was selfless, but she was quickly discovering his selflessness wouldn't only drag him to hell, but Kim too.

Dean had found a case as she scrolled through the internet. A case in Appleton, Wisconsin in a haunted Morton House. After a bit of research, they packed everything up, the three of them hurried off to their case.

It was nighttime when they arrived, the car ride was filled with normal silence, casually conversation and loud music. When they exited the car, Kim looked up at the large abandoned house and ticked off the list of stereotypes as she looked over it. Grabbing her knife, Dean motioned for them to follow him in, which they did.

With Kim's iron knife in hand, she held it up defensively as they sneaked into the house. The floors creaked as they stepped lightly. Cobwebs filled every corner and the eerie vibe of the house stored through them. It was silent, mostly. The rattle of creaky wood and unstable walls sounded as they made their way through the house. The house reeked of death.

The three of them worked quickly, the lore stated: 'the house would lock up after midnight, no one survives.'

Kim wanted to split up, knowing that under time constraint it was the best option, but Dean kept well to her side. As they crept around corners, guns and knives ready to fight, they heard a different noise. The noise of footsteps. Dean sent a look to Sam and Kim, nodding for them to follow him as they stealthily moved towards the noise.

With their flashlight and gun out, Dean walked up to the fugues in the distance with a demanding dominance.

"Freeze! Police officers! Don't move!" Dean ordered as he ran up, Sam and Kim by his side. Kim stepped towards and looked at the figures in front of her. They were about her height, wearing ridiculous gear Kim scoffed at. They were wearing eye goggle helmets and one held a camera, a few bags set up along with other outrageous things. Kim scoffed at the armature hunters, knowing they had no idea what they had got themselves into.

The looked terrified as they hurried around, some putting their hands up in surrender.

"All right. All right. All right. Take it easy, take it easy," Sam commented as they stammered around, an expression of fear across their faces.

"Let's see some identification," Dean commented, holding his hand out.

"Come on, let's see some I.D," Sam ordered. The people looked at the three of them, Kim could tell they were scared out of their minds.

"What–are we under–under arrest?" one stuttered, known as Corbett. Kim looked him up and down threateningly, although she was the same height as him.

"We are unarmed," another commented, known as Ed. Kim watched as Corbett looked up at Sam, Kim and Dean and panicked.

"Oh god. Oh god," he hyperventilated.

"Want to explain that weirdo outfit, Mr. uh, Corbett?" Dean said, looking at the nametag. Kim stood firmly in front, not saying a word as she observed them.

"I know you," Ed commented as he looked up at Sam and Dean.

"Yeah, sure you do. Give me some identification," Dean scoffed. Kim roasted her arms and held her knife down slightly.

"Yeah, ho– whoa, hold on a second. I know the both of you guys. Yeah," Ed said, looking up at the two of them in realisation.

"What?" Kim and Corbett asked at the same time. Kim turned to look at the brothers as Corbett looked at Ed.

"Yeah, huh."

"Holy shit," Sam breathed in realisation.

"What?" Dean asked.

"Uh, West Texas... the... the tulpa we had to take out. Kim wasn't with us at the time," Sam said looked down at Kim, "Those two goofballs that almost got us killed... The hellhounds or something?"

"F– me," Dean growled, realising who they were. Kim was still confused.

"Yeah, we're not hellhounds anymore, okay? It didn't test that well," Ed explained and she took a step towers the armatures. Ed and Corbett took a step back, as sacred of Kim as they were of the ghost in the house.

"You're armatures," Kim sighed before turning around to look at Sam and Dean, "They're armatures."

"Hey!" Ed said in defence, causing Kim to quickly twist towards him. In fear, he stumbled back a bit and retreated.

"Ed, what's going on?" Corbett asked concerned.

"They're not cops, buddy–no, not at all," Ed scoffed as Kim eyed him, along with the brothers.

"Ed, Ed, you had a partner, too, didn't you - A different guy?" Dean asked.

"Oh, yeah, yeah."

"Is he around here somewhere?" Dean questioned.

"He's running around, chasing ghosts," Ed replied confidently.

"Oh god," Kim sighed.

"Okay, well, listen, you and Rambo need to get your girlfriends and get out of here," Dean ordered harshly. Kim grained and looked straight into Ed's eyes. He seemed to be in charge of the armatures.

"Listen here, if you did your research like a real hunter, you would know we don't have a lot of time," Kim groaned, "So leave," she hustled.

"All right. Listen here, chisel chest and your girlfriend, okay?" he said in spite. "We were here first. We've already set up base camp. We beat you," Ed jeered. Dean turned to look at Kim, a cocky smile on his face.

"They were here first," Dean smirked as he turned to Sam.

"Mm-hmm," Ed hummed confidently. Dean's expression quickly changed as he grabbed Ed by his collar, "oh god," he gulped as he came face to face with angry Dean.

"Ed," Dean said deeply.

"Yeah?" Ed swallowed a lump in his throat.

"Where's your partner?"

•※•

Sam, Kim and Dean along with the rest of Ed's gang were in the living room of the Morton House, trying to find the rest of his group.

"What are you doing in the Morton House, Ed–on leap year–what are you thinking?" Dean hissed, Kim beside him.

"We're here to spend the night, okay? It's for our TV show," Ed replied.

"What? Great. Perfect." Sam sighed sarcastically, along with Kim.

"Yeah, nobody's ever survived the night before," Kim shook her head.

"Idiots," she huffed. Ed sent her a look which she returned.

"Uh, we've never heard of them," Ed replied.

"Yeah, you know why? 'Cause they haven't lived to talk about it!" Dean yelled. Kim sighed, she never understood why people voluntarily entered the hunting career. If only they knew the pain and sacrifice each and every hunter had to make every day.

"Oh, come on, I don't believe you," Ed scoffed.

"Look, missing-persons reports going back almost a half century. John Graham stayed on a dare–gone. Julie Wilkerson–gone. There are tons more. All of them came to just stay the night through, always on a leap year. The only body they ever found was the last owner, Freeman Daggett," Sam explained, trying to convince them. He showed them files of evidence they obviously did research.

"These look legit," Ed commented obliviously.

"That's 'cause they are," Kim added, trying to be rude, but they slightly infuriated her, "Look, Ed right?" Kim looked to him and he nodded, "We ain't got much time here, buddy. Midnight comes, house locks down, we die. So gather your friends and get out so we can get the job done before then, got it?"

Just then, Ed's friends–Harry, Maggie and Spruce–ran down the states frightened. Kim held her knife up at the noise.

"Oh, my god! Oh, my god! Oh, my god! Oh, my god! Oh, my god! Guys! Guys! Oh, my god! Oh, my god! We got one! Corbett! Corbett, we saw one! We saw one!" Harry, one of Ed's friends screamed as they ran downstairs. Kim looked to Dean who had an alert look on his face.

"Get outta here!" Ed screamed at them.

"It was a full apparition! It was like a class four. It was a spectral illumination! It..." Harry breathed, catching his breath as he rethought about what had just happened.

"It was amazing!" Maggie finished with an ecstatic smile. Harry noticed the new figures, before looking at Ed,

"Hey, aren't those the assholes from Texas?" Harry asked, pointing to them. Kim crossed her arms defensively, "Except her," he said, seeing Kim's actions.

"Yes," Ed sighed.

"All right, let's have this reunion across the street, guys," Dean clapped, shooing them out.

"Crap. What are you guys doing here?" Harry sighed.

"Come on, come on. We'll get you ice cream–our treat. What do you say? Let's go," Dean teased.

"Yeah, I say no," Harry scoffed.

"Look at this. Look, look. Ed, Ed. No. No. Look at this. Okay, honest-to-god proof, all right?" Maggie shows the group their footage on the laptop. The three of them looked over their shoulder to the laptop, Kim sighed.

Although Kim lived for the thrill of hunting, it was only because hunting was the one thing she knew. And she did it well.

"Are you kidding me?" Ed breathed in excitement.

"Yeah, no, not kidding," Harry smiled.

"What kind of reading did we get?" Spruce asked, looking at the group.

"Uh, it was a 10.9," Harry replied.

"10.9?" Ed questioned.

"Yeah, it was 10.9. It was almost 11. I came out, and I was like, 'what's going on?' And I was like–wait, watch this. Oh! He got blasted. It was crazy," Harry squirmed with excitement.

With a single look to each other, the three of them walked away from the group. Around the corner, the three of them stood in a circle to discuss.

"That's a Death Echo," Kim stated, Sam and Dean nodded in reply. Kim looked deep in thought as they tried to figure out what was happening, "You think we got it wrong?"

"I don't know, but what is it doing? Did anybody get shot here?" Dean asked but Sam shook his head.

"No, not that I could find," Sam replied, Kim agreed.

"What's a death echo?" Instinctively, the three of them spun around in defence, only to see Spruce standing next to them, his camera out and on.

"Look, we got a problem here. That ghost ain't it."

"Yeah, that's real. Like, that happened," Harry sassed, rolling his eyes. Kim groaned irritatedly at the group in front of her.

"What's a death echo?" he repeated. Sam, Kim and Dean looked at each other.

"Echoes are trapped in a loop, okay? They keep replaying how they died over and over and over again, usually in the place where they were ganked. It's about as dangerous as a scary movie," Dean answered.

"So the echo's not dangerous, but something else is," Kim added, looking around. Sam nodded.

"You're right. All right, we need to get out of here, guys. Come on. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Pack it up," Dean shooed all of them. Sam looked at the time.

"Guys, time is running out!" Sam yelled, rushing everyone to the door as they resisted. Kim ran with them, shoving them to the door, forgetting their equipment and materials.

"We're moving!" Kim hollered to Sam.

"What about all of our equipment? What are we gonna..."

"Move your ass!" Kim screamed at them. Midnight was minutes away, and time was slipping away.

"We got more material. We got all kinds of stuff. We'll make you guys recurring guest stars," Harry yelled as he resisted the push of the other.

"Wait! Wait! Where's Corbett?" Ed yelled, looking around. Everyone stopped and looked around frantically.

"The guy with the camera?" Kim asked, Ed just nodded as he looked, "damn it," she whispered to herself. The group looked at each other, a stern and serious look on their face.

"No man left behind," Ed said heroically as everyone rushed to the stairs. An exhausted scream was heard from a distance, it was Corbett.

"That was Corbett! Corbett!" Harry screamed at his friend. Dean and Sam stopped them as they ran to the stars, Kim pushed through.

"Get them out, I'll get him," Kim sighed running up the stairs.

"But–" Ed tried.

"Come on!" Dean hustled them out as Kim matched upstairs. Kim was already up the stairs as following the small noises when she saw Ed and his friends follow, pushing past her. She groaned loudly as Sam and Dean followed.

"One thing!" Kim hissed as they tried to gather them and lead them out. Disobedient children, that's all Kim could summon to think as she watched the group of armatures match into death after specifically being told that they would die.

"Where are you, dude?" one called as they ran down the halls.

"Corbett!"

"Let me go! Guys!" Corbett screamed for help, everyone rushing in the direction of the noise. Dean, Kim and Sam tried to push past the group knowing that if they got there first, something bad was going to happen.

"Corbett! You gotta come back! Corbett!" Ed screamed at his friend. Corbett's scream continued to echo throughout the haunted house until it faded.

Kim looked to the brothers, a horrid look on her face.

"It's midnight." There was a silence.

"Corbett's... he's not here. Let's go. Let's go," Sam ushered everyone out.

"No, no, no. But that's Corbett. No, that was Corbett. Didn't you hear that?" Harry panicked.

"Go, go, go, come on," Dean continued.

"Guys, guys, guys. He's that way," Sam instructed. Everyone went in his direction.

"Here we go, keep it going," Kim continued.

"Corbett?" Ed hushed sadly as he moved into other rooms.

"Hey, hey, hey. Watch him," Sam instructed Kim, nodding to Ed. Kim nodded as Dean thumped Harry on the head and pointed to his flashlight.

"Go, move," Dean hushed, "turn it off."

Static.

•※•

All of them made their way to the living room of the house, heading downstairs–without Corbett. Everyone was panicking, including Kim and the brothers. The room felt immensely tense, Kim ran her hands through her hair worried.

She was quickly becoming furious knowing that after everything she'd been through, after all the pain she suffered, she would die in a haunted house because of some immature, reckless, childish amateurs who don't know when enough is enough. She felt a tensing in her chest as she groaned, annoyed.

"Oh, god, what's happened? Oh, god. He's gone. He just disappeared," Ed panicked.

"Okay, let's just go through all the angles. Let's go through all the cameras we have," Harry said quickly, getting the equipment. Sam, Kim and Dean ignored them and shuffled to their own group. Sam sighed dramatically before throwing his hands around furiously.

"Well, it's 12:04, Dean. You good? You happy?" Sam asked angrily.

"Yeah, I am happy," Dean sassed back.

"'Let's go hunt the Morton house,' you said, 'it's our Grand Canyon'." Sam mimicked Dean angrily.

"Sam, I don't want to hear this," Dean ordered.

"Don't blame Dean, a hunt is a hunt. I say we blame the idiots that are too pushy for their own good," Kim growled at them. One got defensive and pushed forward.

"Hey!"

"Bite me," Kim spat at him as he stepped back before pulling out her knife and looking around the room, ready for whatever popped out, "we're all dead, anyway."

"You got two months left, Dean. Instead, we're gonna die tonight!" Sam yelled and picked up a chair and there it against the sealed front door.

"Whoa! What the hell is going on guys?" Spruce asked quickly, he was terrified.

"I'll tell you what's going on. Every door, every window, I'm guessing every exit out of this house–they're all sealed," Sam explained.

"But w-why are they sealed?" Maggie asked shakily.

"You listen and you listen good," Kim growled to the group of armatures, "You follow us. You do what we say. No more piss-farting around," Kim ordered strongly, they nodded quickly, "Stop trying to be a hero."

"It's a supernatural lockdown, okay? Whatever took Corbett doesn't want us to leave, and it's no death echo. This is a bad mother, and it wants us scared," Dean as we the question. The group seemed scared of them, not just the monster roaming around the house,

"Or it just wants us," Maggie surged, suddenly retreating. The sound of the EMF detector was going off. More camera interference

"Uh, guys, the camera's fritzing again," Spruce groaned.

"Whoa. Whoa. Guys, the EMF's starting to spike. This is a big one!"

"Everybody, stay close. There's something coming," Kim felt a hand grab her wrist and pull her close. She collided with Dean's side as another ghost echo appeared.

"Woah!"

"Is this the same echo you guys saw earlier?" Dean asked, still holding onto Kim.

"No, it's a different guy," Harry shook his head.

"Multiple echoes? What the hell's going on?" Kim asked.

"Beats me," Sam shrugged.

"Okay. All right, all right," Dean started to yell at the appertain, "Uh, hey, buddy! Hey. Hey. Wake up. You're dead! Hello!"

"What's he doing? What's he doing?" Harry asked frantically.

"It's rare, but sometimes you can shock an echo out of its loop if you can talk to the part of the ghost that's still human, but usually you have to have some kind of connection to the deceased."

"Come on! Wake up! Be dead!" Dean yelled. The camera started interfering again, the appertain slicked and turned around.

"You guys hear that?" Magic asked looking around the dark room, her eyes looking for movement in the enclosing boys.

"What's that sound?" Ed asked.

"You guys hear that?" Harry asked the brothers and Kim.

"Snap out of it, buddy, huh? Come on, what are you waiting for? You're gonzo! You're dead!" Dean continued to shout. Bright lights shine from the appertain, the sound aid a car horn was getting louder, approaching. The apparition flew backwards as if hit by an invisible car.

"Where the hell did it go?" Harry yelled. Quickly, they all ran upstairs, the group followed Sam, Kim and Dean down the hallway.

"Dude, there's no records of any of this here. No one got shot here. Obviously, no one got run over by a freaking train," Dean grouched.

"Stay close," Sam instructed to Maggie, who was practically on his feet.

"Did the echoes take Corbett?" she asked.

"No, I don't think so. They don't know what going on, they're just reliving their death over and over. They wouldn't even know we were in the house," Kim explained quietly.

"We don't know what's doing what here; that's what we're trying to figure out, okay?" Dean hushed.

"All right, stay close. Okay, look, um, death echoes are ghosts, okay? Now, ghosts–they usually haunt places where they lived or where they died," Sam continued.

"Except these mocks didn't live or die here,"

"Yeah," Kim added.

"So, what are they doing here?" Maggie asked, still recording.

"Hey, give the lady a cigar. All right, seriously, does looking at this nightmare through that camera make you feel better or something? I mean..." Dean asked Maggie as she held a camera to his face.

"Um...I, uh... Well, yeah. Uh, yeah. I think so," Maggie stuttered.

"Oh," Dean muttered. The group continued to walk through the house, every corner a new hallway. A rusty, old deer head was mounted on the wall as they entered a room full of stuffed animal heads.

"Freeman Daggett, house's last owner, officially commended for 20 years of fine service at the Gamble General Hospital," Sam says, reading off of a broken frame he held up.

"Doctor?" Kim asked.

"Janitor," Sam corrected.

"This looks like his den. When'd you say he died - '64?" Dean questioned.

"Yeah, heart attack," Sam nodded.

"What are these, c-rations?" Maggie quizzed.

"Yeah, army-issued, three squares - like a lifetime supply."

"God, is that all he ate?" Maggie grimaced.

"One-stop shopping," Dean said as he walked over to a safe. He pulled and twisted at the knob, it didn't budge, "Hello, locked."

"Oh, come on, guys. This is ridiculous. I mean, how the hell is this supposed to find Corbett, huh? We should be digging up the friggin' floorboards right now," Ed complained loudly.

"Huh," Sam sassed, holing up a leaflet, "'Survival Under Atomic Attack', an optimist." A loud bang was heard as Dean pries the safe open. Dean and Kim leafed through the files in the safe.

"Carp, crap. Taxidermy, okay. You said Daggett was a hospital janitor," Dean said shuffling the paper.

"Yeah," Sam replied

"Ewww. Got three toe tags here–one, death by gunshots, train accident, and suicide," Kim shuddered as she picked up the bags they were in, she shook her head disgusted.

"Ew!" Sam gagged.

"What?" Harry asked, hurried.

"Well, that explains why all the death echoes are here. They're here because their bodies are here...somewhere in the house?" Sam nodded as Kim agreed.

"Daggett brought the remains home from the morgue. To 'play'," Dean air quoted, making Kim shivered in disgust.

"Ewwwww! Ugh!" Harry and Ed quivered together.

"That's nasty, dude," Spruce curled his lip.

"Dude, I know," Kim huffed mockingly.

"Wait a minute," Dean said, looking around the room cautiously. Maggie had wandered off, the camera was getting interference. She swung her camera around, frightened, to reveal Dean.

"Closer to the herd, okay?"

"Maggie? Maggie?" Harry called as Dean walked back with her.

"She's fine," Dean nodded.

"Harry. Harry, I got an 8.6 and climbing fast. Something huge is coming. Look, something big is coming," Ed called. The camera was getting staticky again.

"It's past 11, you guys," Harry panicked.

"What? Nobody move!" Dean yelled as he grabbed Kim's wrist again, holding her still. Everyone was quite, "Hold on, hold on. Stay quiet," he whispered. Everyone was still, Kim's knife was held fairly in her hand. A strike of fear shot through everyone. Sam was gone, just disappeared.

"It's really cold in here," Ed breathed out, his breath turning to fog.

"Harry?" Maggie called. Dean and Kim looked around. Dean's thumb rubbed Kim's hand, to make sure she was still there.

"Sam?" Dean's and Kim called.

"Some kind of surge," Ed muttered confused while Dean was rushing around for Sam.

"Sam?"

"Where'd he go?" Harry asked quickly.

"Oh, no," Maggie breathed as Kim picked up Sam's dropped flashlight and held it in her small hand. Dean looked down on it.

"Sam!" Kim screamed loudly.

"Sammy!" Dean screamed, a raspy neediness in his voice.

"Corbett! Sam!" Ed called.

"Corbett! Talk to us!" Harry screamed.

"Sam! Come on!" Kim screamed.

"Sam! Corbett! Corbett!"

"Sam!" Dean was running around, retrying to find his brother in a frantic state of panic. The house was known for swallowing people alive. People never made it out of that house past midnight, never. It was just something that never happened. The three of them practically walked into a haunted house, blind and swinging.

Somehow, Dean and Kim had managed to split from the group.

"Dean, calm down. We'll find him," Kim breathed, the air was freezing.

"Don't tell me to calm down! My brother is gone!" he screamed as he frantically searched. Kim grabbed his arm harshly, stopping his rampage.

"We'll find him." Dean took a deep breath and nodded, looking into her dull eyes. He could hardly see her it was that dark, her brown eye melting into the darkness. He sighed as Kim released her hold, feeling he had calmed down. He nodded once, before turning to find his brother.


	32. Chapter Thirty

Kim and Dean wandered around the house a bit more. It was dark, the had no idea what they were doing. All Kim's senses were heightened, her grip on her knife tightening. Kim listened very closely to make sure she didn't miss out on anything, any plea of help or cry of pain. But she heard a ramble on the floor. Quickly, she sprinted to the noise, quickly turning the corner. Dean was yelling from behind her, following. She skidded as she turned, seeing Ed and Harry wrestling in the ground. Quickly, she counted heads, not bothering to separate the two. Dean showed up behind Kim, a small pant escaped his lip, turning into a cloud of fog.

Kim sighed in relief, everyone was there. She groaned as they wrestled unprofessionally, small grunt and groans escaping their lips as they got hit. Groaning, Kim went to separate the fight, pulling Ed off Harry with ease. He stuffed in her strong grip, still frantically hitting the air in front of him. Kim huffed, with one hand tightly around his waist the other one grabbed his arm and forcefully held it behind his back, he cried in pain. Kim held Ed close to her chest as she held him down as Dean went to help Harry up.

"You calm?" Kim asked sassily in Ed's ear. Ed huffed and Kim bent his hand back a bit more. He let out a scared before pleasing to be freed. Kim let him go and he hustled out of her grip.

"God, you're stronger than you look," he huffed. Kim straightened out her jacket, not listening to his comment.

"What the hell are you doing! We're down by two!" Kim growled at them. Dean nodded along.

"Sam!" Dean screamed, moving away from the group again. Kim couldn't handle their childishness anymore, people were going to die.

"Corbett! Where'd you guys go?" Harry called out, continue ingot I search for his friend.

"Sam!"

"Where are you guys?"

"Dean, what are you doing?" Harry asked.

"Okay, so Daggett was a cold war nut, okay? He was–he was an amateur taxidermist. He liked to slow dance with cadavers, and all he ate were c-rations, so what the hell are we looking for?!" Dean asked harshly.

"Horrible little life," Maggie breathed.

"Yeah, a lonely life...A cold war life," Dean continued.

"He was scared," Kim breathed in realisation. Dean looked at her and nodded.

"Scared of what? What? Dean, where are you going?" Dean and Kim quickly made their way down to the basement, the rest following. Kim was glad she finally knew what was going on, an excited smirk on her lips.

"Wait, don't leave me in here, you guys!" Maggie called, following them, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where are you going?"

"Guys like Daggett back then, the ones who were really scared of the Russkies–so to protect themselves, they built bomb shelters. I'm guessing he's got one and shut himself in, dying eventually a slow and lonely death. I'll bet you it's in the basement," Kim said to the three of them. Dean led the way as they walked through, suddenly, the door slammed shut, cutting the group in half. Dean and Spruce were on one side while Kim, Ed, Harry and Maggie were on the other, stuck in the living room.

"Woah!" Harry called in distress. Kim yelled in frustration, slamming her fists against the closed door. With a hard kick, she aimed her fist at the weak spot if the door, but she knew it wouldn't break.

"Woah! That is not funny!" Ed shouted.

"Um, who closed the door?" Spruce asked though tech door. Kim screamed again and hit it again.

"It did. It wants to separate us," Dean said softly, "Kim, you there?" Dean called through the door.

"Unfortunately," she huffed loud enough for Dean to hear.

"Ouch," Ed huffed. Kim rolled her eyes at him.

"Good, there's salt in the bag. You know what to do," Dean said, "Keep them safe," Dean said as Kim grew frustrated.

"I'm not gonna sit on my ass on this side of the door, Dean," Kim growled through the door.

"Then stand!" With that, Dean left. Ed and Harry walked over to her in a hurry.

"What was he talking about?" they asked quickly. With a groan, she ignored their questions and grabbed the salt, fixing a rather large circle.

"Get in," she huffed and they looked at her as if she was crazy, "You want to live? Get in the circle." Confused, the three of them got into the circle as Kim took a step in, a large, exhausted sighed, standing on the inner perimeter. Kim whipped out the iron knife from her waistband and held her stance strong.

She was left behind–the worst part was that it was on the wrong side of the door. She couldn't help from this side. She didn't care she was stuck with a group of armatures kids who had no idea what they were doing, it was that she couldn't help at all. She could break the door down and there was no way around. All she could do was sit, wait and grow frustrated with herself.

There was a silence while she twirled her knife threateningly.

"This is stupid," Harry huffed as Kim scoffed.

"You're telling me. I should be on the other side of that door right now," Kim turned around to see Ed taking a step out of the salt, "Stay in the salt, you idiots!" Ed jumped back, "Just listen for once, 'cause right now I'm your only defence. Don't piss off your only form of defence," she hissed.

"You're not our only form of defence. We have equipment," Maggie nodded. Kim laughed.

"Oh right, the 'equipment' out there?" Kim asked, pointing outside the ring of salt, "What a comfort."

"Guys, guys, I don't want to die, okay, and I don't want you to die," Harry breathed heavily, hyperventilating.

"Harry, listen–listen to me, okay? Listen. If we don't die... it's totally okay if you, uh, do my sister," Ed nodded solemnly as Maggie pushed Ed, "Ow!" Kim huffed and shook her head as the camera started to get staticky.

"Hey guys, hey guys, it's coming again," Maggie rushed. Kim quickly took action, pushing the three of them into the middle of the circle, standing in front of them defensively.

"Get in close," Kim ordered.

"Oh god," Harry breathed.

"Oh god, oh god," Ed continued. The lights started to flicker, the air became instantly cold. With one hand in front with her knife, the other was behind her back, pushing everyone behind her.

She watched as a figure stood on the outer side of the salt. The group sees Corbett standing there. Kim let out a low sigh of distress, her knife strong in her hand.

"Corbett?" Ed whispered. Kim swallowed a lump in her throat, a pant of sympathy sent through her.

"Oh god, what have we done? Oh god," Ed breathed regretfully. Kim's heart sank as she heard the small whispered behind her. She could feel their pain, suffer and regret. She could feel their sorrow,

This was how hunters were born.

"Ed," Harry whispered broken-heartedly.

"Yeah?" Ed replied softly.

"Corbett's a–he's a death echo. He's reliving his own murder," there was a silence.

"Over and over," Kim took a breath, "forever."

•※•

"Ghostfacers... we go to places the others will not...Ghostfacers...stay in the kitchen when the kitchen gets hot," Harry sung softly to himself. The lights steered to flicker again.

"Oh, no."

"Guys? Corbett..." The ghost of Corbett appears again.

"Guys, it's–it's Corbett. He's–he's–he's trapped. He's in a lot of pain, you know? We got to try and... we got to try and pull him out of his loop. We have to," Ed stood up and faced Corbett. Kim instantly hopped into action, putting her hand out to stop him.

"Hate to break it to you, but that's not your friend," Kim warned, but Ed pushed past, Kim closed her hand as he approached the echo.

"Ed?" Harry asked.

"Corbett. Corbett, it's - Oh, god," Ed muttered in disbelief, shocked as he watched his friend.

"Don't cross the line of salt," Harry warned. Kim watched at him take a step forward. She watched as Ed hesitated, before stepping over the line. With a quick movement, she stopped the other two from following him before she moved to stand by Ed's side. The only reason she hadn't pulled Ed back was because it was rare for ghost echoes to attack, especially when they don't know they're dead.

"I gotta do it," Ed said softly.

"I'm staying right beside you," Kim announced.

"Good," Ed breathed, looking from Kim to Corbett, "Corbett, listen to me. Okay, I'm not gonna hurt you. Listen, listened," Ed gulped, "Oh, god. Corbett," Ed swallowed quickly as the ghost glitched, but his death kept replaying. Ed, watching his friend die over and over sent flashback into Kim's mind of a fuzzy memory she couldn't remember, causing Kim to push him behind her and shoved him into the circle, being careful not to break the line.

"Get back!" Kim yelled at them, also stepping into the ring.

"Oh, god. Whoa. Oh, I can't, okay? He's not hearing me, okay? He won't stop dying," Ed gasped as Kim's jaw clenched.

"Oh god, hurry up Dean," Kim watched in defence as Corbett continued to die, his friends watching mortified.

"I... I know how we can get through to him," Harry stuttered.

"How?" Kim and Ed asked quickly. He stayed quiet for a bit, trying to think of what to say.

"Ed... He had feelings for you," Harry explained. Kim rose an eyebrow, a small smirk tainted her lips.

"Huh, well that's an advantage," Kim huffed. Ed was still confused.

"Huh?"

"He wanted you," Harry continued.

"Wa- wanted me to what?"

"You know," Harry grunted as he pelvic thrust, "And you know what you've got to do. You can do it, Ed. You've always been the brave one. Yes, you can. You make us brave - Maggie, right?"

"Yeah. Yeah, you do. You totally do," Maggie encouraged.

"Ed...You got to go be gay for that poor, dead intern. You got to send him into the light," Harry continued. Kim nodded, gesturing Ed to approach, Kim still by his side.

"Corbett," Kim stood right next to him, "Corbett, look. Hey, it's just Ed, buddy. It's just me. Hey, hey, Corbett, listen to me. Listen to me. I - we... Okay. You meant... Corbett, you meant a lot to the team. You meant... You meant a lot to me. You know, never back down...Never say a bad word, okay? I remember that, Corbett. I-I remember that. I remember because I love you, Corbett. I really, truly love you. Do you remember that? do you?" Corbett's ghost turned to him, his eyes not even comprehending Kim was there.

"Hey, Ed?" Corbett asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, Corbett, it's... Corbett, yeah, it's me. It's me, look at me. You got to help us, man. you have to help us, Corbett. Please, please. Please help us right now," Ed begged to his friend, his eyes pleading. Corbett complied, nodding quickly as he looked longingly into Ed's eyes. Ed nodded thankfully, moving out of the way from Kim to explain.

"This is what you've gotta do," Ed took a step back into the ring of salt as Kim explained. When she was done, she sighed, "Thanks, buddy. You didn't deserve this." With a saddened look, Corbett was gone.

•※•

A while later, the camera stopped the static and the lights from outside shone through the dirty window. Kim took a step outside of the ring of salt, seeing the door that had once separated Kim from the others, slip open. Dean, Spruce and Sam stepped out from behind the door. Kim sighed in relief as she walked up to Sam, a small smile on her lips. She looked up at him as he looked down, small cuts and bruises covered his face and arms.

"You gave Dean a real scare, there," she nodded, gesturing to Dean. Sam let out his small, unique laugh.

"Just Dean?" Sam asked knowingly. Kim just smirked, walking away. Everyone followed.

As all-except one-exited the house, they shared their quick goodbyes. Kim and Sam gave Ed and spruce their numbers, just in case they found themselves in another situation where they have no idea where what they walked into.

•※•

"We know this much: that every day, including today, is a new beginning. We learned more than we can say in the brutal feet of the Morton House," Ed said as he stood next to his best friends, Harry, both facing the recording camera.

"The Ghostfacers were forced to face something far scarier than ghosts. They were forced to face themselves," Harry continued, talking into the camera.

"War changes Man," Ed nodded.

"And Maggie,"

"And Kim,"

"War changes man. And two woman..." they looked to each other, "You know Corbett, we just... ah gosh, we just like to think that you're out there, watching over us," Ed said mournfully, a pain of guilt and regret suppressed his heart, trying to hold back tears.

"As far as we're concerned, you're not an intern anymore. You have more than earned full Ghostfacer status. Plus, it would be cool to have a ghost on the team," Harry announced.

"Yeah. Heh heh. And here we were thinking that you know, we were teaching you and all this time you were teaching us, about heart, about dedication, and about how gay love can pierce through the veil of death and save the day." They stood in silence for a brief second, "Thank you, Alan J. Corbett," Ed nodded sadly.

"Go well into that starry night, young Turk. Go well," Harry finished his and Ed's heartbreaking for their friend.

The video cut to Corbett outside the back of a van, loading it was hunting equipment, a slight smile on his face as Spruce recorded only hours before he died.

"Come on, Spruce, I gotta get all this stuff packed up!" Corbett groaned as Spruce recorded. He was the only one loading the car.

"So, pack and talk!" Spruce laughed, behind the camera.

"I don't know what to say," Corbett replied with his signature smile.

"Say what comes to mind. This is one of our confessional moments, Corbett, so confess. What did you think was going to happen tonight? What do you think is going to happen on this trip?" Spruce asked eagerly. Corbett put one more thing in the back of the van before stopping to look at the camera, only for a second before continuing.

"I think tonight, I really do, I think all of our dreams are going to come true," he stopped packing, "Does that sound stupid?" he asked innocently.

"Kind of does, yeah," they laughed.

In Memory of Alan J. Corbett, 1985-2008

King of the Impossible.

•※•

Sam, Dean and Kim hovered over a laptop as they watched their first episode of Ghostfacers, the remaining Ghostfacers around them

"So, guys, what do you think? Are you all right?" Ed asked, hopefully.

"You know, I kind of think it was half-awesome," Dean nodded, impressed.

"Half-awesome? That - that's full-on good, right?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah, um, I mean it's bizarre how you all are able to honor Corbett's memory while grossly exploiting the manner of his death. Well done," Sam nodded, a small smile on his lips. They turned to Kim, as she nodded.

"Not bad. Not bad at all."

With a nod from Sam and Kim, Dean secretly slid something under the table.

"Yeah. It's a real tightrope you guys are walking there," Dean commented.

"You call us if you screw up," Kim commanded,

"Yeah, all right guys," Sam continued.

"Nah, that's reality, man. Yeah, Corbett gave his life searching for the truth, and it's our job over here to share it with the world," Ed mourned.

"Right. Well, um, our experience, you know what you get when you show the world the truth?" Sam questioned wearily.

"A straightjacket. Or a punch in the face," Dean nodded.

"Sometimes both," Kim continued.

"Right."

"Oh come on, guys, don't be 'facer haters' just because we happen to have gotten the footage of the century," Harry continued.

"Oh yeah."

"You got us there," Dean nodded.

"Yeah," Sam encouraged.

"Damn right." Kim smirked, "Well, we'll see you around, guys."

"Peace out," Spruce smiled as Sam, Dean and Kim leave. The three of them casually walked back to the Impala, a slow strode to their steps.

"We clean?" Sam asked outside the Impala.

"No! Are you kidding me?" Ed screamed was heard in the distance as they stood outside. Kim smirked sadly, looking down.

"Electromagnet wiped out every tape and hard drive that they have," Dean nodded.

"The world just isn't ready for the Ghostfacers," Sam sighed.

"Will they ever?" Kim scoffed regretfully.

"It's too bad. I kinda liked the show," Dean complemented.

"It had its moments," Sam said as they hopped into the Impala and drove off. Kim shuffled in the back, getting comfortable in her seat, a sad smile on her face.

"It sure did."

•※•

In search of a motel, the three of them continued to drive. Kim sat in the back, the soft hum of classic rock played in the background as Kim pressed her forehead to the window, feeling the vibrations. She stared out into the darkening sky, a light shade of purple and pink-tinged in the sky. The sun shone through the clouds, creating a blanket of soft colours to fall over the bounding hills of the countryside

Her hand found her necklace. She could tell by the chain that it was Ash's. She habitually rubbed it between her fingers, causing her fingertips to go numb. They made their way down to the skull pendant, her skin softly caressing the priceless gem. With a sigh, she let go of the necklace and let her hand fall limp in her lap, she continued to stare.

The land had forgotten all soft colours and had fallen to it's inevitable black, it was night. They were on a lonely highway, no other car to be seen. They had passed a small town a while back and the three had eaten dinner there, but the motel was full.

Continuing their journey, Kim found herself in her last position, this time staring into nothing. The land was too dark to see.

No one could ever really tell what Kim was thinking at a specific time, her poker face was permanent. But as she looked outside the window and onto the now empty and dark land, she thought about multiple things.

She thought about Ash, Jo and Ellen. She smiled subtly at memories she couldn't replace.

She thought about Bela, the smile disintegrated. The Colt was still missing, in Bela's possession, a low hatred for her roared in the pits of her heart.

She thought about Ruby, her expression showed her discomfort. She was foul, Kim could tell. Demons aren't nice, ever, and the fact that Sam was getting giddy with her was even more irritating. He had stopped Dean from shooting her–a demon–when he had the Colt aimed and ready. He said it was because she had a way to save Dean, but Dean only had two months left, and she was as useless as ever.

She thought about Sam and his constant and continuous hunt to find a way to save Dean. How he was driving himself into the ground, pressuring and torturing himself to find a way that didn't exist. Dean didn't have much longer to live, putting Sam in a rush mode.

She through about Dean, how on death row, he held a smile for Sam and his head high for Kim.

She thought about Lilith. How Lilith was an increasing nuisance with each day, her warrant to kill them still open. She was disgusting, been more so than Ruby.

She sighed, life just continuously got messier.

There had been some but minimal chit-chat in the car as Dean drove, Kim could see that Dean was getting tired very quickly, having not rest the night before, being trapped in the haunted house. Kim had managed to get a few hours of sleep in the car which she was grateful for. She watched from the back, her eyes switching from the dark land to Dean, as his eyes started to droop. He was exhausted, he needed to sleep.

Kim got out of her position and saw that Sam was asleep in the passenger seat, his hair flopped over his face. She remembered that it was a year ago, this exact situation had happened. Dean was tired in the driver's seat, Sam was passed out in the passenger side.

Kim leaned over and stuck her between the two front seats, looking at Dean. He was so tired, he hadn't even noticed her action. She sighed as she looked at him.

"If you want to sleep, I can drive," Kim whispered to Dean, gaining his attention. He looked at her wearily, shaking himself awake. His lazy eyes draped over Kim's face before moving from her and onto Sam, a small smile graced his lips as he slept.

"Nah, I'm all good," Dean replied, stubbornly. Kim looked at him for a second, waiting to see if he would change his mind, but his expression stayed strong. Kim sighed, knowing he was too stubborn to move.

"You'll know where to find me," she sighed, falling back into her position, her eyes scanning the darkness. Every now and then, her eyes would find their way over to Dean, his eyelids half-way down his eyes. She sighed, the night had just begun and they had a while to go.

She just sat there, her mind wandering off in different directions. She continuously thought about nothing, it was amazing. She smiled to the silent hum of the Impala as she felt every vibration of the drive run through her. It was peaceful.

Suddenly, she felt the car start to drift. Her eyes went from the dark land and onto Dean, his head slump and his eyes almost shut. Instantly, Kim shook Dean awake. He jumped up with a startle, seeing the road he instinctively grabbed the wheel, steering the car back in the right direction.

Kim gulped as Dean slowly looked at her. With a sigh, Dean parked the car on the side of the road and looked at Kim.

"Maybe you should drive," Dean murmured tiredly, his lips barely moving. Kim nodded as Dean exited the car and Kim hopped into the front seat. She watched as Dean hobbled into the back seat, "Take care of her," Dean mumbled, his cheek laying upon the car's leather as he rested his eyes, "I'm serious, not one scratch. I'll kill you," with that he thumped himself onto the car's leather, instantly falling asleep. She smiled softly and nodded.

Kim looked back to the road, her eyes drifting from the highway to the steering wheel. With pride, she caressed the wheel and draped her fingers over it, holding her firmly. A surge of empowerment was sent through her, she started her up.

Listen to that kitten purr. Her hum sounded through the car, Kim could feel it on her fingertips. Respectfully, Kim pressed down on the accelerator. She moved effortlessly across the ground. Slowly, she picked up speed.

Kim could see why Dean loved his car so much. She was a smooth drive.

•※•

It had been a few hours since Dean had fallen asleep in the back and around Kim to drive his Baby and Kim had found a motel. Although Kim would prefer to continue to drive her, she knew the boys needed a motel.

Pulling up to the motel, she parked the car carefully and slightly shook Sam awake.

"Hey, Sam. Vacant motel," she said, shaking his shoulder to wake him up. Sam woke groggily, a loud groan escaped his mouth. The Impala seat mustn't have been a very comfortable resting place for his long legs and broad shoulders. Sam wiped his eyes lazily before looking at Kim, a confused look on his face.

"You're not Dean," he murmured, looking around the car to see Dean asleep in the back seat.

"How could you tell?" she sassed lightly, a small smirk on her lips. Sam ignored her comment and he continued to look around, baffled by the completely normal circumstance.

"He let you drive?" he asked shocked as they both looked to Dean, his cheek pressed against the back seat leather.

"Yup," she popped. Sam stayed confused, looking from Dean to Kim cautiously.

"Did you drug him?" Kim scoffed and leant over the car, shaking Dean awake.

"Wake up, Dean. We're at a motel." Dean groaned in response, not bothering to open his eyes as he squatted Kim away. She huffed a laugh, stepping out of the Impala, along with Sam. "You go get a room while I wake your brother up." Sam nodded, pulling out his wallet as he walked to the reception.

Kim opened the back door of the Impala to be greeted by Deans feet. She grunted as she leaned over him to shake his shoulders.

"Come on, Dean," Kim huffed tiredly. She sighed and grabbed his legs, trying to shake them. He stayed still, not making a noise as she moved his legs, "I'll drag you out if I have to," she warned, earning grunt from Dean, she didn't think he knew what she said. She wasn't going to actually drag him-although she was capable, she knew it was the worst option. It was just a threat. She sighed and jumped into the back with him, slapping him lightly on the face, "Far out, Dean. Wake up," she huffed. With one large slap, Dean shot up, bumping his head on the roof of the car.

He looked at Kim who featured a large smirk.

"What the hell was that for?" he questioned sleepily. She just smiled evilly before pointing to the roof.

"If that dints, it's not my fault," she smirked and she pulled herself out of the car to be greeted by Sam

"You get him up?" he asked.

"With ease," she replied with a cheeky grin.

"Well, I got us a room. You don't mind, do you?" Sam asked as Kim shrugged, "It has three beds this time," he encouraged. Kim just nodded as a sleepy Dean revealed himself from the car.

"Got a room?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. Kim and Sam nodded.

"Room 42," Sam read. Dean nodded before looking at Kim.

"I'll look for the scratches in the morning," he warned, grabbing the bags out of the boot. Kim grabbed hers and slung one over her shoulder, hitting her back with a thud, the other in her hand. They followed Sam to the motel room, opening the door to reveal a rather large room. Kim huffed in satisfaction, dumping her bags on the furthest bed.

"I'm taking a shower," she stated, grabbing her pyjamas and heading to the bathroom.

"But it's two in the morning," Sam laughed slightly, causing Kim to smirk.

"I don't see the problem," she smirked, closing the door. Quickly, she stripped and turned on the shower. Keeping her hand under the running water until it was the right temperature, she hopped in, instantly lathering her dirty, dust hair with shampoo. Massaging it in, she sighed as she relaxed.

She was so happy to have a shower two days in a row, it was a pleasurable experience, one she didn't get often.

She rinsed her hair out and added conditioner, brushing out her hair. She felt her silky hair run through her fingers and she combed her air with her fingers, forgetting her brush in her bag outside. Once she was satisfied, she rinsed it out and washed her body with a new soap she had got. It was a new, fresh scent.

It was on sale, 99 cents.

Rubbing it all over her body, her skin began to feel smooth and soft. Washing it off, she turned off the shower and stepped out, onto the cold tiled floor. Drying off, she pried on her pyjamas and exited the room, her hair only slightly damp.

When she exited the room, she saw Sam and Dean lying on their bed, asleep. Kim rubbed her eyes tiredly and took rest in the spare bed, next to Dean's. As she walked past, she heard a small groan from Dean.

"You smell different," Dean murmured into the sheets. Kim subtly smiled, wrapping herself in the blankets, facing Dean.

"That's what happens when you shower," she smirked.

"No, like, you smell different from the other times you take a shower," Dean corrected, looking at her.

"Oh," she said simply, "new soap." Dean nodded, pleased.

"It's nice," he complimented, closing his eyes and burying his head in the pillow. Kim nodded to herself, resting her head on her pillow, she fell asleep.

She was really going to miss him.


	33. Chapter Thirty-One

Sam, Kim and Dean stood in a blank room, all blank faced. Both the boys held their stance height, chests out while Kim held her hands behind her back, a flask in hand. Their eyes locked on the demon tied to a chair in front of them, his eyes lingered over Kim. Dean's stern gaze went from the demon to Kim, seeing the menacing smirk on the demon's lips as he traced her.

Kim held her stance, knowing his gaze was on her. Quickly, she adjusted her leather jacket, showing off her flask, casually kicking her feet on the ground. She tilted her head as she looked at him, her eyes squinting threateningly, but he just smirked at her, shooing her dominant stance. He sucked in a breath as he looked her up and down, shivering.

"Oh, Kim. Your dominance just does something to me," he sneered evilly. Kim just rolled her eyes, twirling her flask in her hand. She took a few steps closer to him, "Any closer and I just might have to eat you up," he smirked as she walked towards him. His eyes moved from Kim to Dean, seeing him roll his eyes.

With a single slash, Kim sprayed the demon with a generous amount of holy water, causing him to scream loudly. The room filled with his scream, earning a smirk from Dean as he watched him steam. Kim walked over to him and rested her hand son either hand rest of the chair, leaning closer to the demon as he shook off the holy water, sneering at her.

"If you're gonna flirt with me, make sure I'm the one tied to the chair," she smirked at his deadly glare.

"Alright, that's enough." Dean scowled from behind Kim.

"You ready to talk?" Kim asked harshly, still leaning over him. She was the image of pure torture, leaning over him dominantly, a suggestive smirk on her lips.

"I don't know. I don't know anything!" the demon pleaded.

"Oh, you hear that, guys? He doesn't know anything," Dean sassed, looking over to Sam.

"Yeah, I heard," Sam smirked.

"I'm telling you the truth!" he begged.

"Oh, you are? My god, then I owe you an apology. Allow me to make it up to you," Dean marched over to him, grabbed his face with his large hand and forced holy water down his throat. The demon squirmed in agony, but Dean didn't stop. "I'm gonna ask you one last time...Who holds my contract?!" Dean demands, his face sweating with anger. The demon goes quite, his head hanging. Slowly, he looks up, an evil smirk on his lips.

"Your mother. Yeah, she, uh, showed it to me right before I bent her over," the demons continued. Kim swallowed hard, her jaw clenching.

"I want a name. Or else..." Dean warned.

"Or what? Are you gonna squirt your holy water in both ends? Please. Brother, that's like a fleabite compared to what's coming to me if I tell you jack. Do what you want. The only thing I'm scared of is the demon holding your ticket," he spat, Kim smirked as Dean looked at Sam and nodded. Sam started performing the exorcism.

"How does that feel? Does that feel good?" Dean seethed at the demon as he writhed in pain.

"Go ahead. Send me back to hell... 'Cause when you get there, I'll be waiting for you...with a few pals who are dying for a nice little meet and greet with Dean Winchester," the demon writhed. Sam stopped hesitantly, looking up.

"Should I?" he asked Dean.

"Send him someplace he can't hurt anyone else." Sam continued the exorcism and the demon began screaming. His cry of pain filled the room, it was satisfying.

•※•

"You ran the prints twice? Are you sure? Okay. Yeah, just chalk it up to lab error. Don't I know it. Okay. Thanks. Yeah, I'll tell the lieutenant," Sam said into his phone as Kim and himself at in the motel room. Kim sat on the couch, doing some research when Dean walked in.

"Bury the body?" Kim asked when she heard the motel door open and saw Dean enter.

"Yeah. Looks like these demons ride 'em hard just for kicks," he sighed, grabbing a beer and chucking himself on the couch next to Kim, "What was the phone call about?" he asked Sam.

"Remember that thing in the paper yesterday?"

"'Stripper suffocates dude with thighs?'"Dean asked curiously.

"The other thing," Kim sighed.

"Right, the guy that walks into the E.R. and kneels over dead. His stomach's ripped out?" Dean corrected himself

"His liver, actually. Anyways, I just found out something pretty damn interesting," Sam continued.

"What?"

"The dead body covered in bloody fingerprints, not the victim's," Sam explained as Kim nodded, he had already shown her what he found.

"Okay, great. My man Dave Caruso will be stoked to hear it," Dean sassed.

"Those fingerprints match a guy who died in 1981," Kim sighed, finishing off Sam's story.

"Really. So, what are we talking? Uh, walking dead? Walking, killing dead?"

"Maybe," Sam shrugged.

"Zombies do like the other-other white meat. Huh. Speaking of, what do you care about zombies?" he asked Sam.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked looking up from his laptop.

"Well, you and Kim have been on soul-saving detail for months now. And we're three weeks out, and all of a sudden, you're interested in some hot zombie action?" Dean commented.

"You're the one always talking about taking down as many evil sons of bitches as you can," Kim defended.

"Hey, no, no, no, no, no. I didn't say I didn't want to do it, okay. I mean obviously I want to hunt some zombies," Dean complied, putting his hands up.

"Okay, fine, whatever..." Sam muttered, looking back at his laptop.

•※•

They made their way to the Coroner's lab once they arrived at the hospital, to investigate the body.

"Yeah, the rest of the body was intact. The liver was the only organ missing," the Coroner explained.

"Now, where the liver was ripped out, did you happen to notice any...ah...teeth marks?" Dean asked. Kim watched as the Coroner gave them an extremely suspicious look.

"Can I see your badges?" he asked worryingly.

"Of course, sure," Sam said as the three of them took out their badges, showing him. He scanned them.

"Fine. So you're cops and morons."

"Excuse you," Kim scoffed looking at the Coroner, a twitch of disgust on her face.

"The liver was not ripped out. It was removed. Surgically. By someone who knew their way around a scalpel. Didn't you read my report?" he scoffed.

"Of course we did. Oh, it was riveting. It was a real page-turner, just delightful," Dean continued.

"You done?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I think so," Dean swallowed hard.

"Please go away," the Coroner continued, shooing them away.

"Oh god, with pleasure," Kim huffed, walking away as confidently as she could, the boys scurried behind her.

As they exited the room and down the hallway of the hospital, Sam smiled.

"What?" Dean asked, looking at Sam.

"Nothing. So, that kind of punches a hole in our zombie theory, huh, that scalpel thing?" Sam continued, changing the subject.

"Yeah, zombie's with skills, 'Dr. Quinn, medicine zombie'." Dean commented.

"Maybe we're wrong. Lookin' for the wrong thing," Kim continued.

"What should we be looking for?" Dean asked.

"Survivors," Sam suggested.

"This isn't a zombie lunch. This is organ theft," Kim continued, walking off down the hallway to find herself a survivor.

When the three of them separated, Kim started wandering down a random hallway, checking the patient descriptions. Once she found what she was looking for, she quietly entered the room to see a girl tucked neatly into her hospital bed watching TV. Luckily for Kim, no one else was in the room, so she politely let herself in.

The girl seemed young, in her late twenties maybe. Her dirty blond hair was tied up in a messy bun on top of her head. Her eyes were bright blue and her complexion was quite clear, with rosy cheeks. She was a picture of innocence, her bright eye widen as she saw Kim unexpectedly enter the room.

The girl looked away from her TV to see Kim slowly approaching her, badge in hand just to be sure. The girl looked from her badge to Kim, her head falling back on the pillow. Kim huffed and get a chair, sitting next to her bed.

"I know, it's just a few follow up questions. I'll be out of your hair quickly," Kim explained sweetly, tucking her badge away.

"No, it's okay. I'm just super irritable right now, sorry," she sighed, adjusting herself in bed. Kim nodded, trying to be as polite as she could be.

"Totally understandable," Kim commented, "Now, Miss Trevor-"

"Please, call me Tiffany," she smiled. Kim looked up at her and smiled softly.

"Okay, Tiffany, um-I know this may be hard but could you possibly describe what you remember?" Kim asked, taking out her notepad to write down what she says.

"Oh, yeah. Sure, um... I was walking my dog when someone garbed me from behind and knocked me out. The next thing I knew, I was on a table, screaming myself away. I didn't get to see anything, sorry. But all I remember is a horrible pain near my ribs, then, I woke up in a bath of ice in some random motel room, alone. I call the hospital and they tell me my spleen has been stolen!" she explained as Kim nodded, understanding her screaming.

"I'm very sorry to hear that," Kim sighed, writing down the last of what she said.

"As long as they get the culprit," she breathed.

"We'll get them, don't you worry," Kim smiled. Tiffany nodded, reaching up to wipe her forehead. Tiffany looked up to Kim, a small smile on her face.

"Thank you," she murmured.

"You're very welcome," Kim said, standing up.

"I mean, if God can sacrifice his son for humanity, I can live without my spleen, right?" Tiffany nodded, looking up at Kim for reassurance. Kim was a bit taken back by her comment, she looked down on Tiffany, her lips formed a sweet smile and nodded.

"Everyone sacrifices something." Kim nodded, moving to walk out of the room.

"Everyone."

•※•

After that the three of them headed back to the motel, exchanging what they found. Kim explained that the poor lady had her spleen stolen. Dean and Sam explained how they were talking to a man who had his kidney stolen, both of them blacking out and waking up in a bath of ice in a random motel room.

Kim and Sam were on their laptops, searching for something while Dean ate his burger. Kim's eyes were glued to the screen, reading the paragraphs of words that eventually turned into a black blur. Rubbing her eyes, she looked up to Sam who was sitting opposite her.

"So, I got a theory," Sam said, looking up from his laptop to look at it.

"Yeah?" Dean responded.

"Yeah, I talked to Mr Giggle's Doctor. Turns out his incisions were sewn up with silk," Sam continued.

"Weird," Kim contributed.

"Yeah, nowadays it is, but silk used to be the suture of choice back in the early 19th century. It was really problematic. Patients would get massive infections. The death rate was insane," Sam continued.

"Good times," Dean scoffed.

"Right, so Doctors, they had to do whatever they could to keep infections from spreading. One way was maggots," Sam continued.

"Dude, I'm eating," Dean warned, telling him to back off.

It actually kind of worked because maggots, they eat bad tissue, and they leave good tissue. And get this. When they found our guy, his body cavity was stuffed full of maggots," Kim laughed at Dean's reaction as he slowed down his chewing to a disgusting slow rate, where she could see the burger in his mouth.

"Dude, I'm eating! Alright, let me get this straight. So, people are getting ganked, right?" Dean said, chucking down his burger, stopping eating.

"Yeah," Kim nodded.

"A little 'antiques roadshow' surgery, some organ theft. But why is this all sounding familiar?" Dean asked Sam. Kim looked back at her laptop.

"Because you heard it before. When you were a kid... from Dad. Doc Benton...real-life Doctor, lived in New Hampshire, brilliant and obsessed with alchemy, especially how to live forever. So, in 1816, Doc abandons his practice and..."

"Right, yeah, nobody hears from him for like 20 years, and all of sudden, people start showing up dead,"

"Dead or-or missing an organ or the hand or some other kind of part," Sam continued.

"Well that means that whatever he's doing is working, 'cause he's still ticking," Kim looked up from his laptop, "He'd just need to replace the parts that start rotting right?"

"But I thought Dad hunted him down and took his heart out," Dean questioned.

"Yeah, I guess the Doc must have plugged in a new one," Sam shrugged.

"All right, where's he doing the deed?" Dean asked.

"Benton's picky about where he sets up his lab. He likes dense forest with access to a river or stream or some kind of freshwater," Kim said before Sam could reply. Dean finally returned to his burger.

"Why?" Dean asked, taking a bit out of it.

"Because that's where he likes to dump the bile and intestines and fecal matter," Sam intervened. Kim huffed and nodded. Dean lowered his burger, disgusted, he gagged slightly, "Lost your appetite yet?" Dean considered, looking down at his burger and then back at Sam and Kim, a smirk on both of the faces. He then looks at his burger.

"Oh baby, I can't stay mad at you." Dean took a huge bite of his burger, staring at Kim as he chewed. Kim rolled her eyes at Dean before looked up at Sam who just nodded at her.

"Okay, let's go," Sam sighed, grabbing a map as Kim continued to research. Sam set his map out on the table as Dean finished his burger and leaving the 'nerd table'. Kim ignored his comment but glanced up from her laptop to watch him plonk himself on the couch. With a quick smirk, she shuffled her eyes back onto the laptop.

Sam straightened out the map, setting out a red marker next to it, before returning back to his laptop to help with research. This topic wasn't a hard search, in fact, it was quite easy, but it numbed Kim's brain it was so boring. Luckily, with sam by her side, it was over quick.

After Sam and Kim had all their areas, they joined forces and marked the places on the map before moving the map to the bed, so Sam could sprawl it open even more and called Dean.

"So these are all the cabins. Most of them have been abandoned for years," Sam told Dean, pointing to the circled areas.

"So what the hell are we waiting for?" Dean asked as his phone rang. Turning away from them, he answered the phone, "Bobby."

"Hey. Think I finally got a bead on Bela," Bobby commented, getting his interest. He turned to Kim and Sam, putting the phone on speaker.

"I'm listening," Dean continued.

"Rufus Turner," was all Bobby said.

"Who's that? Like a Cleveland steamer?"

"He's a hunter, or he used to be."

"And now?" Kim questioned.

"Hermit mostly. Does a little selling on the side. Anyway. I put the word out on Bela months ago. He just called. Said a woman got in touch, wanted to buy some things," Bobby explained.

"And he thinks it's Bela?"

"British accent, went by the name Mina Chandler,"

"She's used that before. Well, it's kind of a sloppy move, isn't it? Getting in contact with one of your old friends," Dean nodded.

"Friend? Haven't laid eyes on him in fifteen years. He's not the Christmas card type. I doubt she knows I know him. Canaan, Vermont,"

"Thanks, Bobby. We're on our way," Dean said, about to hang up.

"One other thing. Take a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue," Bobby said in a hurry, making sure he heard it.

"Okay," Dean said hanging up, "Come on. We're going after Bela," Dean commanded.

"What? Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on a second," Sam said, turning to Kim, who had moved to get her duffel bag.

"Look, I think we should stay here and finish the case," Sam intervene, looking to Kim for some support. Kim looked between Sam and Dean, Sam slightly betrayed.

"You insane?" Dean spat at his brother, "Kim, get your stuff."

"Dean, there's no way she still has the Colt! That was months ago! She probably sold it the second she got it," Sam said rationally, stopping Kim from packing.

"Well, then I'll kill her. Win-win,"

"I'm down for that," Kim commented.

"Dean..."

"Sam. We're going!" he demanded harshly, putting his foot down.

"No!" Sam screamed, getting frustrated and moving towards his brother. Dean marched forward as Sam did, meeting his argument and overpowering his dominance.

"Why the hell not?" Dean asked angrily. The tension was building in the room, Kim could feel it rise. She just stood there, knowing nothing she could say would make a difference. That was definitely one thing she had learnt over the year.

"Dean, this, this here. Now. This is what's gonna save you," Sam breathed, lowering his anger.

"What? Chasing some Frankenstein?" Dean sassed.

"Chasing immortality," Kim sighed at Sam. She knew it wouldn't work, there was no doubt about it in her mind. The hellhounds would drag him to hell, one way or another. There was no stopping them, "Look, Benton can't die. We find out how he did it, we can do it to you,"

"Sam-"

"No, Kim," Sam refused.

"What are you talking about?" Dean furrowed.

"You have to die before you go to hell, right? So, if you can never die, then..." Sam trailed off. Kim and Dean furrowed their eyebrows in realization, a stern and fierce expression settled on Kim's face.

"Wait, wait, wait. Wait a second. Did you know that this was Doc Benton from the jump?" Dean asked as Kim crossed her arms. Sam moved his gaze to Kim and he instantly knew that he shouldn't have lied to her.

"Yes, he did," Kim shot angrily. Dean sent Kim a look and then back at Sam.

"You even lied to Kim?" he asked, almost disgusted as Sam tried to explain himself.

"No," he said as Dean tilted his head, questioning him, "I mean- yes, but I knew Kim wouldn't consider it."

"That's 'cause it's stupid," she spat.

"Look, I was hoping-"

"So the whole zombie thing, it was lying to us?" Dean asked harshly.

"I didn't wanna say anything until I was sure, Dean. All I'm trying to do is find an answer here," Sam explained his excuse.

"No. What you're trying to do is chase Slicy McHackey here. And to kill him? No. You wanna buy him a freaking beer. You wanna study him," Dean hissed.

"I was just trying to help," he sighed angrily.

"You're not helping! You forget that if I welch on this deal, you die. Guess what, living forever is welching," Dean screamed at his brother. Kim sighed, it was obvious that Dean and Kim were angry at Sam for different reasons. Dean was furious, that even constantly warning him to stop, he continued to search for a way to kill himself. Kim was angry that he still thought that Kim wouldn't do everything to help Dean, he still thought she would obstruct him from saving his brother when really, the only thing she wouldn't do was something that she knew wouldn't work.

"Fine! Then, whatever the magic pill is, I'll take it too!" Sam screamed, getting angrier by the second. He could feel the blood rushing through him furiously.

"Oh, what is this? Sid and Nancy? No. It's just like Bobby's been saying. We kill the demon who owns the contract and this whole damn thing wipes clean. That's our best shot."

"Sam-"

"Even if you had the Colt, Dean, who are you gonna shoot? We have no idea who holds the ticket," Sam screamed.

"Sam, listen!" Kim screamed at him, getting into their argument. She stood firmly in front of Sam, Dean behind her. She looked up at him as he towered over her, but she was not intimidating. She was tired of their arguments, "You're smart, right? No, tell me how a new heart is gonna stop a hellhound from chomping into Dean," she spat. Sam was a bit taken back by how upfront she was, that he didn't really listen to her words.

She sighed when she got no response, "At least if we got the Colt, we can take down as many hellhounds as we have bullets,"

Kim tried to ration with him, but the cloud of anger and determination clouded his judgment and completely skimmed over Kim's convincing argument. Dean moved up to Kim's side showing his support.

"I'm staying here," Sam said quietly, standing his ground.

"No, you're not," Dean directed. "'Cause I'm not gonna let you wander out in the woods alone to track some organ stealing freak," Sam looked at his brother that stood next to Kim. He held his stance up and dominant, his voice just as powerful as his stance. Sam just scoffed slightly.

"You're not gonna let me?" Sam huffed.

"No, I'm not gonna let you," Dean enforced harshly.

"How are you gonna stop me?" Sam sassed angrily, competing against his brother. Sam refused to live in Dean's shadows anymore. Dean looked a little startled. Sam challenged Dean, just as he had challenged John, "Look, man, we're trying to do the same thing here," Sam looked away from them.

"I know. But I'm going. So if you wanna stay...stay." Dean said slowly, waiting for Sam to respond. He didn't.

With a sighed, Dean swung his bag over his shoulder and marched out the door, still no reply from Sam. They didn't even look at each other as they separated.

"Sammy, be careful," Dean said when he made it to the doorframe. Sam turned to look at him, sorrowfully.

"You too," They stared at each other for a moment, before Dean reached and closed the door behind him.

She heard Sam sighed, and turn to face where Dean once stood, to be met with Kim's gaze. His eyes danced over her as she stood silently in her spot. Her mouth was slightly open but her eyes held the same amount of power they always had.

But when he stared into her eyes, the only thing he saw was the same girl who offered him the knife that would end her.

She was the same girl.

She looked up at him, his soft eyes searched hers for something to prove him wrong. She sighed and grabbed her bag and walked to the door.

"Call me, Sam, okay? If anything goes wrong, just call me," she said, waiting for a response. He just smiled and nodded. It was enough for her.

•※•

Kim and Dean hopped out of the Impala once Dean parked it outside of an old house in some random street in Canaan, Vermont. The two of them looked at each other and then back to the house. It didn't look too shabby, just a few dead plants and rough paint job. With a cheeky smile on his face, he gestured for Kim to go first. With a playful roll of her eyes, she marched up the stairs to the porch, where they were met by security cameras and a sign saying; 'No solicitors, that means you! No asking for donations. No selling ANYTHING!'

Glancing at the sign before looking at the security camera, Dean rang the doorbell and banged on the door. They heard a mechanical noise, both their head turning to look at the camera rotating to face them.

"What?" a rough voice demanded over the speaker.

"Hi, uh, Rufus?" Dean asked slightly, looking awkwardly from the camera to the speaker.

"Yeah, even if I am, the question is still the same. What?" Rufus huffed.

"Uh, I'm Dean Winchester and this is uh...Harper. I'm a friend of Bobby Singer's," Dean introduced.

"So?"

"You called him this morning," Dean continued.

"So?"

"Uh...," Dean tried to grin at the security camera's as Kim rolled her eyes. "...you told Bobby about a British chick who made contact with you."

"And so?" he continued rudely.

"You know where she is?" Dean asked,

"Yeah," he said in the same angry tone.

"Great. Could you tell me where I could find her?" Dean asked hopefully.

"No."

"Course not," he whispered to Kim as she huffed, "Look, Rufus, man..." Dean tried to say, but the door opened.

"Look, let me point something out to you. You are knocking at my door, so don't 'Look, man' me. I'm not your man," Rufus, an old man said opening the door.

"I'm sorry, sir," Dean apologised with a slight smile.

"All right, let me tell you a little story. See, once upon a time, Bobby called me, asked me to call him if I got a whiff of this Bela Talbot. I got a whiff. I called. The end."

"Okay, yeah, if you could just tell me where she is, I mean, that would be great," Kim asked, interviewing. Rufus looked to her, looking her up and down before moving back to Dean.

"Dean Winchester, right?" he said before moving to Kim, "Kim Harper," Kim gave him a looked before nodding.

"Yeah," she replied slowly.

"Well, do I look like I'm here to help you?" Rufus grouched.

"I'm gonna say no?" Dean questioned with a smile.

"Then get the hell off my property," Rufus barked, about to close the door. Kim pulled the bottle of alcohols out of a bag she was holding and shoved it into Dean's hands. He gave her a look and shoved it back, telling her to offer it.

"He likes you more than me," she huffed as Dean scoffed.

"All right, yeah, fair enough. I got one more question for you, though. See, I got this, uh, this bottle of scotch, and... uh, is this considered good?" Dean asked, holding the bottle up to meet Rufus glare. His eye switched from the bottle to Dean, a smile grew on his face.

The three of them moved to Rufus' table once he invited them in, and poured Dean and himself a drink. Rufus hadn't even bothered pouring her some, and although only two people were drinking, the bottle was three-quarters empty.

"Bottoms up," Dean muttered, they clicked their glasses and drank. Rufus swallowed floridly and sighed in satisfaction before looking at his drink longingly.

"You know, I don't even bother drinking unless it's this stuff. Nectar of the Gods, I'm telling you," he praised. Kim nodded as she looked around his cluttered house. Bit and bots of everything were everywhere, much like Bobby's.

"Yeah, it's a nice change, you know. Most of my whiskey comes from a plastic jug." They both laughed and Kim nodded along, "So, Bela was here because..."

"She wanted to buy a couple of things, which is gonna take me some time to round up," Rufus commented.

"You know where she is now?" Kim asked, leaning on the table. Rufus sided his gaze upon her, "Maybe she mentioned something, someplace?" Rufous watched her closely, before moving into Dean.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked Dean.

"Sure," he replied.

"You got three weeks left. Why are you wasting your time chasing after that skinny, stuck-up English girl?" he asked wisely. Both Kim and Dean were a bit taken back by his comment.

"How do you know about that?" Dean asked, suspicious. Rufous leaned forward, glaring into Kim and Dean's eyes.

"Because I know things. I know a lot of things about a lot of people,"

"Is that so?" Kim smirked.

"I know ain't no peashooter gonna save you," Rufus admitted, looking at Dean. He switched her eyes to Kim, "I know that you know that too," Dean looked at Kim as she kept a straight face, not looking at him. She stared at Rufus, but Dean was in the corner of her eyes.

"What makes you so sure?" Dean asked.

"Cause that's the job, kid. Even if you manage to scrape out of this one, there's just gonna be something else down the road. Folks like us...there ain't no happy ending," he looked for Dean to Kim, looking deep into her eyes, "We all got it coming."

"Well, ain't you a bucket of sunshine?" Dean smirked.

"I'm what you've got to look forward to if you survive," he smirked and raised his glass to his lips, "But you won't." Kim looked at Dean awkwardly who was playing with the rest of his drink. Rufus had just finished his last swig, placing his empty glass back on the table. Kim looked at Dean, reached over and skilled his swig in one shot. Placing the glass on the table, the silence broke to a rough laughter from Rufus. Kim just shrugged, sliding the glass back over to Dean.

"Good ain't it?" he laughed. Kim smirked, licking her lips and looking to Dean who had a slightly shocked look on his face.

"He's not wrong," Kim nodded. Rufus nodded proudly.

"Well you ain't getting any more," he huffed.

"I didn't ask for any," she smirked, looking at him who just nodded back, "So, Bela..."

"Hotel Canaan. Room 39. But watch your back," Rufus warned.

"I think I can handle Bela," Dean scoffed, slightly offended.

"Oh, don't be so sure about that. There are things that you don't know about her," Rufus explained.

"Oh, and you do? Right. Because you know things," Dean huffed. Rufous looked Dean straight in the eyes.

"Yep," he nodded superiorly.

"And let me guess...you lift her fingerprint?" Dean asked.

"Yep,"

"And that got you jack," Kim continued, knowing what his answer was gonna be.

"Yep. She burnt them off. Probably years ago," Rufus continued.

"Yeah, so you're right where we are," Dean scoffed.

"Nope." Dean looked at him funny, "You do her ear?" Kim was a bit confused, her eyebrows furrowed as Dean continued.

"Sorry?"

"You do her ear?" Kim sighed in realisation. She had read about that once, but Dean had no idea what he was talking about.

"Hey, man, I'll try anything once, but I don't know. That sounds uncomfortable," Dean chuckled a toothy grin.

"No, you moron," Kim scoffed.

"Ears are as unique to humans as fingerprints," Rufus explained.

"No kidding," Dean huffed, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course, that don't fly in the courts over here, but in England, they're all over it. A friend of a friend...of a friend faxed me ten pages of confidential files within a day. All I had to send him was one clean shot off the security camera," Rufus continued.

"Wow, I don't even think I have that many friends," Kim huffed, looking at him with a smirk.

"Right. One clean shot of her ear," Dean huffed in awe. Rufus smiled and held out a folder, Kim grabbed it.

"The so-called Bela Talbot." Holding it in her hands, she glanced upon the blank file that held all the secrets of Bela, and she couldn't wait.


	34. Chapter Thirty-Two

It was completely dark and eerily silent as Dean and Kim waited inside Bela's motel room, pressed against the wall on either side of the door, waiting for her to arrive. They were arms, knives and guns at the ready as they heard footsteps approach the door.

Kim's mind kept repeating the new facts they had learnt about Bela's past and a wave of disgust washed over her, making her lip curl.

They kept their breaths heavy and shallow. The door unlocked. The clicking of heels chimes as she entered her motel, but before she could take three step inside, Kim had shoved her forcefully against the motel wall, her knife firmly pressed against Bela's neck as she held back a gasp. Kim pushed all her pressure on her, stopping her from moving. Kim snarled at her as she wiggled a bit against Kim's force, her expression controlled by fear. Dean stalked his way beside Kim, his eyes glancing between Kim's knife and Bela's expression.

"Where's the Colt?" Dean demanded, looking down on Bela. He also had an angry determination on his face.

"Dean, Kim," she replied as calmly as possible, addressing them.

"No extra words," Dean said as Kim pushed the knife further into her skin, not enough to draw blood, but enough to scare her. If Kim was proud of one thing, it was that she was wildly different to Bela when it came to being in the line of fire.

"It's long gone, across the world by now," Bela admitted.

"Oh, you're gonna wish you were lying," Kim hissed as she snatched the bag that Bela walked in with and chucked it at Dean. He caught it and instantly started searching it for the Colt. Kim grabbed Bela's wrist and pulled her against her chest.

"What the hell are you doing..." Kim's hands moved across her body as she frisked her. Shocked, Bela wiggled against her grip as she moved her hand down her legs quickly. Kim gripped her to stop her from moving. As Kim made her way up, Bela pushed her away as Kim dusted herself off.

"Don't flatter yourself," Kim scoffed, turning to Dean who just shook his head. Groaning, Kim reached past Bela to turn in the lights, the room brightened with a dim orange glow.

"Don't move," Kim warned as the two of them moved to the cupboards, running her hands through them to feel for the Colt. Dean and Kim moved out, both desperately searching through clothes and corners, anywhere Bela could have their gun.

From the corner of Dean's eye, he could see Bela shuffled on her feet, sliding towards the door. With a quick shift, Dean and fired his gun, aimed at Bela. Kim snapped her head in the direction of the noise, smirking when she saw a bullet hole a few inches away from Bela's head. Dean stood with his gun still aimed, as Kim nodded towards him. Bela was frozen in fear.

"Don't move," Dean warned lowly.

"Nice shot," Kim huffed, nodding with a smirk before moving back to searching for the Colt.

They must have checked the whole motel room twice, from every corner to ever shadow, there was nothing there. Once Kim finished looking through the last draw, she closed it slowly, her anger burning inside her as she turned to Blea, a mischievous smirk on her lips. Kim twirled the knife between her fingers before charging at Bela. A satisfying smash could be heard as Kim forced Bela's skull against the wall. She was through with playing games. Dean's time was running out and Sam was off chasing a cure that would never work. Things were getting out of hand and she worked too hard and cared so much to have it slip from her fingers when she was so close.

Kim's knife traced the think skin on Bela's neck and she could see in Kim's eyes that she was not playing anymore.

"Are you going to kill me?" she asked as composed as she could.

"Oh, yeah," Kim nodded, her lips turned to a slight smirk.

"You're not the cold-blooded type," she gulped, looking from the knife, to Dean, to Kim. Kim just smirked at her, raising an eyebrow as if to test her.

"You wanna test that?" Kim threatened.

"You mean like you? That's true. See, I couldn't imagine killing my parents," Dean nodded slowly. Bela was taken back, her seemingly clam expression changed to a shocked one, she quickly regrouped.

"I don't know what you're talking..."

"Yes, you do. You were, what, 14? Folks died in some shady car accident. Police suspected a slashed brake line, but it was all too crispy to tell. Cut to little Bela...Oh, I'm sorry, Abby...inheriting millions," Dean sniggered, getting a reaction out of Bela. Her face fell, the memories flooded, Kim felt no remorse.

"How did you even-"

"Doesn't matter," Kim jeered, pressing harder, slowly and intimidatingly. Bela stood in shock, her breath caught in her throat as her eyes glazed over with memories.

"They were lovely people. And I killed them. And I got rich. I can't be bothered to give a damn. Just like I don't care what happens to you," Bela sneered, he lips curled at her own words. Kim clutched her knife more, a wave of disgust washed over her as she looked at her. She was a pathetic, disgusting human and the temptation to slash her throat was wildly tempting. Kim licked her teeth, ripping the knife away from her and stepping backwards, freeing Bela.

"What the hell are you doing?" Dean asked as he pushed her against the wall.

"I honestly just can't touch her anymore," Kim replied in disgust.

Dean pushed her up against the wall, his face pure with rage, his strong arm against her throat. Kim watched as Dean's grip on her got tighter, her face became red before it turned white and she was struggling to breathe. Bela gulped again and Kim watched as Bela stayed the pristine and uptight person she was. He growled at her as she struggled, his low, commanding voice shook the silence.

"You disgust me," Kim spat, looking at Bela. Bela's eyes went from Dean to Kim, a composed smirk on her face.

"Likewise." Bela sniggered at her. Kim's eyes moved from Bela to a distracting object dangling above the door. Kim's face hardened as she saw it, a strand of woven herbs is dislodged from the ledge above the door but no one notices

Quickly, she tapped Dean shoulder moving him away from Bela. Bela gasped for air as she composed herself, looking between Kim and Dean. Dean moved to Kim's side as she stared at Bela, a disgusted look on her face, she stared at her for a long moment.

"You're not worth it," Kim spat as Dean dragged her aside from the door, the two of them leaving.

As the two of them exited, Kim held her disgusted expression as they left. Dean walked beside her, looking into her eyes. She didn't look to him, nor did she look back at the room as they marched to the Impala. Kim sat in the front, Dean in driver's side. He looked at her, but she kept her head straight. He sighed, looking out as well.

"Why didn't you kill her?" he asked, positive that she would have.

"Why didn't you?" she asked, not looking at him. He sighed, looking at her, she slowly moved her gaze over to him.

"I couldn't," he replied slowly, almost ashamed that he couldn't take a life. Kim squinted her eyes at him before looking away. He couldn't. Kim licked her teeth.

"I didn't need to," she added simply. Dean furrowed his eyebrows, looking at her questioningly.

"What?" he asked. Kim sighed and looked at him.

"She had a herb hung above her door. Devil's shoestring, it's only using is to keep Hellhounds out," Kim explained, "Too bad it doesn't work," Kim said with a straight face as a Dean stared at her. She kept her gaze out the window, no regret, no mercy. His expression matched hers, a tinge of cringing realisation settled across his face.

"The only reason you didn't kill her was 'cause," he looked Kim her solemnly, "Hellhound are worse." Kim stayed quiet, not looking at him as he stared at her. It was a moment of silence before Kim sighed.

"Drive."

He stayed silent as he looked at her, her eyes beading straight ahead. She could feel his stare moving across her face and down her body as he took in her petite structure. She was so small compared to him, especially when she sat down. Her soft form matched her hollow eyes. He saw right through them.

He saw right through her.

Dean tore his eyes away from her and turned on the car and started driving. She sighed softly, rubbing her eyes as the sun went down. She looked at Dean, his jaw clenched in frustration. Slowly, she moved her eyes over him just as he did to her.

"Bela was a goose chase. The Colt's gone, and this time I'm screwed, aren't I?" he asked lowly, his voice husky and sorrowfully as he reminded both of them how downwards everything was heading. She stayed silent, swallowing a small lump in her throat.

"I told Sam you were gonna be fine," she said softly, "You're gonna be fine," Dean scoffed a soft laughed, shaking his head at her, a sympathetic smile on his lips. He hung his head, still smiling. Kim's words processed in his mind, a pang of guilt suppressed him. The crushing clarity that this twenty-year-old girl who they dragged along with them, is carrying as much burden as she could. They took her from her home and drove her down the hole they made, cause even the little things caused her the most suffering. And although they brought her along, she was the one telling them that everything was going to be fine.

"You're not the one who's suppose to tell me that," he laughed with the pain, looking up at her, "You're not supposed to be the one telling my little brother that's it's going to be okay," he explained sadly, his voice got caught in his throat. His eyes swallowed her appearance and he felt a wave of security. "I'm scared, Kim," he whispered, tearfully, "I don't wanna die." She didn't know how to respond. His demanding, overpowering and commanding nature seemed to slip from him. The man next to her was scared of his life, and she stayed silent in shock as he took a deep breath. Kim looked into his weary eyes as he sighed, "You don't think Sam's idea is gonna work?" She looked to him mournfully.

"I'm sorry, Dean," Kim sighed as Dean nodded, looking back at the road, biting his lips. Kim followed his gaze.

"You take care of him, all right? He's gonna be fine, right?" he asked quietly. Kim turned to him, a look he didn't return.

She knew that with Dean gone, Sam would never be 'fine'. When you watch the person you love destroy themselves for you, it leaves an imprint on your soul, reminding you of how worthless you were in helping them. Sam would never be fine.

"He always is." Kim swallowed, looking to the road ahead. Dean nodded once, a gesture Kim saw in her peripheral vision. The car stayed quiet for a few moments, the only sound was the hum of the car or the movements of Dean or Kim, but the emptiness was soon swallowed by the sound of Dean switching on the stereo, rock music sounding from the speakers.

•※•

The two of them entered their motel and Kim chucked her duffel bag on the floor, stretching her back as she lifted her arms in the air. She let her arms collapse over herself, wiping her forehead on the way down. She sighed opened her eyes after her stretch to be met with the gaze of Sam.

"Hey Sam," Kim acknowledged, "you kill the Doc?" Kim asked as Dean stumbled in after her, his bag on his back. Sam looked up and over Kim's shoulder to Dean.

"Uh... yeah," Sam muttered, almost ashamed as he looked away from his brothers gaze. Kim could tell that he thought he let his brother down. "What about you, did ya find the Colt?" Kim stayed silent and Sam nodded, his lips falling into a line, "Does that mean-"

"No, she's alive," Kim huffed disgustedly.

"Although she deserves to die one-thousands times over, but no," Dean continued, "and she's coming for us."

"What?" Sam blurted, a bit confused.

"I felt her pick my pocket and take out the motel receipt. She'll be here before midnight." Dean said and Kim laughed slightly, nodding. Sam looked at her, still confused.

"What?" Sam continued to ask.

"She's only got 'till midnight," Kim huffed, packing all of her stuff. Sam was still confused. She watched his massive shoulder shrug in confusion.

"What?"

"She made a deal, Sam. Kill her parents and inherited their money. Now, her time's due," Kim finished, stopping her packing as Dean started his, "so start packing, Sam." He nodded, grabbing his bag, filling it up.

Dean stood near the door, his two bags in his hands. Kim was shutting her bag as Sam moved towards his brother. With one simple motion, her barely filled bag zipped up and she slung one over her shoulder, the other hung in her hand. She walked towards the door where the brothers waited for her, she suddenly stopped and dropped her bags.

"What?" Dean asked as Kim smirked.

"Sex dolls," Kim mused. Quickly, Kim grabbed three sex dolls and placed them under the covers of the bed, fixing wigs on two of them. On for her, one for Sam. With a smirk, she nodded proudly at her work, moving back to the brothers and picking up her bags. Quickly checking the time, she looked up at the boys, "It's 11, let's go."

The brothers nodded, grabbing their stuff and chucking it into the Impala and started driving in no particular direction with no particular idea what they were going to do next. Dean was still going to hell in three weeks, and Sam and Kim were running out of time to save him.

Finding her natural position in the back, Kim relaxed as much as she could as they drove away. For a while, Kim's mind was wandering over ways to save Dean from Hell, Sam's persistence inspired her to continue. But every time she replayed ways to help Dean, she knew they wouldn't be enough to save him. Nothing would be enough to save him and she knew that. Sighing, Kim looked at the time and glancing up at Dean.

"Ready to call Bela?" Kim questioned, "It's six to midnight," Dean huffed and nodded.

"Let's do this," Kim smirked, grabbing her phone and calling the motel room. Placing the phone on speaker, Kim placed her phone where everyone could hear. The phone continued to ring until towards the end, Bela picked up and the ringing ended. A sly smirk slipped on her lips.

"Hiya, Bela. Here's a fun fact you may not know. I felt your hand in my pocket when you swiped that motel receipt," Dean greeted tauntingly.

"You don't understand," Bela sniffed, her usual composure slowly slipped out the window.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I understand perfectly," Dean nodded, "Kim noticed something interesting in your motel room,"

"Devil's shoestring. An interesting thing about that herb is that its only use is to keep the hellhounds out," Kim said proudly.

"So you know what I did, I went back and I took another look at your folks' obit. Turns out they died ten years ago today," Dean mocked, "You didn't kill them. A demon did your dirty work. You made a deal, didn't you, Bela. And it's come due." There was a silence where Bela didn't respond, chocking back a few sobs.

"The Colt would have been a good gift to wiggle out of your deal with, but it wasn't enough, was it?" Kim sassed softly.

"They changed the deal. They wanted me to kill Sam," Bela breathed tearfully.

"Really! Wow, demons untrustworthy. Shocker. That's, uh, kind of a tight deadline too," Dean smirked softly.

"What time is it? Well, look at that, almost midnight," Kim announced mercilessly as Bela began to cry.

"Kim, listen, I need help," she cried, her voice breaking and breath catching in her throat.

"Oh please, we are weeks past help," Kim scoffed.

"I know I don't deserve it," Bela sobbed.

"You know what, you're right, you don't. But you know what the bitch of the bunch is? If you would have just come to us sooner and asked for help we probably could have taken the Colt and saved you." Dean added humbly, which made Beal feel just that little bit worse.

"I know and saved yourself. I know about your deal, Dean." Kim looked at Dean, a suspicious look on her face.

"And who told you that?" Dean ordered. Bela held back a sob as she began to explain.

"The Demon that holds it. She holds mine too. She said she holds every deal,"

"She?" Kim questioned quickly.

"Her name's Lilith," Bela sobbed. Kim stopped, looking up in horror. The first demon. The demon that wanted, no, demanded Sam's death and was prepared to do whatever and kill whoever got in her way. Dean sent a solemn look to Kim and Sam.

"Lilith?" Dean asked, "Why should I believe you?"

"You shouldn't but it's the truth," Bela breathed, her voice broken and battered.

"This can't help you, Bela, not now. Why are you telling me this?" Dean quizzed suspiciously. There was a silence where Bela swallowed her sob and hatred, her wet cheeks becoming sticky as her face fell into an expression filled with rage.

"Because just maybe you can kill the bitch," Bela spat, the words seeping through her teeth. Kim could hear the hatred in her voice as Dean's face fell into a similar expression.

"I'll see you in Hell," Dean seethed, his voice deep with disgust. He hung up ruthlessly, knowing what would be on the other end of the phone. Holding the phone with a strong grip, he handed it to Kim who took it hesitantly, the previous moment shook her a bit. Sliding her phone back into her pocket, she fell back into her position in the back seat.

The rest of the ride was almost silent, the sound of the car hummed and the small chatter of conversations was quick and short. No mention of Lilith, Bela, the Colt, Ruby or Dean upcoming fate ending exactly like Bela's, but they all were thinking about them.

It was all they could think about.

They drove silently through the night, searching for a motel. Kim watched as the clock struck midnight, but to her, it was just another time. Swallowing a gulp, her eyes moved over the black landscape and moved onto the purple night sky, the white starts dashed all over the neverending purple.

Sam sat in the front, his hand rested on his forehead as he thought about Dean. It suddenly became real that Dean's time was running out, and Sam was helpless in saving him. With only weeks left, Sam had become more desperate than ever and even as he sat in a car with no resources to help him figure out how to find Lilith.

Kim sat in the back, mindlessly doing the same, but there was doubt in her mind. Time was slipping away quicker than ever and their hope was dwindling quickly, but the thought of Lilith rose their confidence, Sam's maybe a little too much. Kim had no hope for Lilith, for even if they find her in time, she was a powerful demon and they had no way to kill her. And even if some miracle was to occur and they managed to get the Colt back or take the demon knife, they didn't know if killing her would free him from his deal.

After a while, Dean pulled up to a motel, they could see the vibrant open sign from a mile away. Once they parked, they hopped out and Kim went to get the room. Marching over to the reception, she pulled out her phone which held her credit card. Whipping it out, she nonchalantly leaned on the front desk, looking at the young land who sat behind the desk. The girl looked up at Kim, her blond hair pulled back from her face with a light green headband. She seemed too polite for this time of the morning.

"Hi," Kim greeted lazily. She was really tired and had no patience for proper manners. The lady looked at Kim and smiled politely. "One room with three beds, please." Kim smiled as the lady looked up on the computer if they had a room free.

"Sure," the lady nodded. Kim nodded back as she paid for the room, the boys marching behind her with all their bags in their arms, including Kim's. "Room 36, second floor," the lady smiled before getting up and moving to the back. Kim nodded once and took the keys, turning around to face the brothers.

"I can take that," she said moving to grab her bags, which Dean held. As she reached for them, Dean jerked back quickly with a smirk. Kim rose an eyebrow as she moved to get them again, but he just pulled away. "Really?"

"Can't a dying man carry a lady's bag to her room?" Dean teased gently. Kim huffed once in slight amusement.

"Not when it's past midnight, I'm tired," Kim argued softly as she reached again, not surprised when he jerked away once more.

"Then we better get movin'," Dean commented, quickly snatching the keys from Kim's hand as he started walking to their shared room. Kim looked at Sam who just shrugged with a slight smile, following his brother. Kim groaned and followed in pursuit, not having the heavy weight of her bags weighing her down.

Dean and Sam had made it to the room before Kim, and Dean had placed Kim's bags on the middle bed, allocating her that bed for the night. Nodding, Kim moved to her bag and pulled out her laptop and quickly moving to the table, Sam did the same, but Dean had grabbed a beer and took a comfortable seat on the couch, turning on the crappy TV. They hadn't even been room for more than a minute and Sam and Kim were already in pursuit of finding Lilith. As Kim started researching, she looked up from her laptop and glanced at Sam who was determinedly staring at his screen.

"We should get Bobby onto this. If anyone's gonna find a way to find Lilith, he would be it," Kim commented, looking at Sam as he glanced up at her. He nodded quickly and sharply moved for his phone to call Bobby.

"Good idea," he nodded as he dialled his number. "Hey, Bobby. We need your help with something," Sam said into the phone. Kim nodded as his conversation continued, looking back to her laptop to see what she could find while Bobby looked.

"What're you doing?" Dean asked, looking over his shoulder to them. Sam was standing up, ignoring his brother as he talked to Bobby. Kim looked at him before glancing at Sam.

"He's callin' Bobby. Trying to see if he's got some way to locate Lilith," Kim nodded, looking back at her work. Dean looked at her for a moment, before curling his lip in approval and looking back to the TV. He didn't seem very fazed for someone who admitted to being scared of death earlier on in the day. Kim looked at the back of his head for a moment as he turned to the TV. She wondered how his attitude towards Hell hand changed in such a short time.

Selling his soul for his brother created a surge of protection through him. A protection to his brother which caused him to be strong and keep a stern face, and eventually, he began to believe his own con. But as the due date drew closer, his brave attitude started to crumble under his fear, the realisation of his untimely death soon became real.

Kim looked back to her laptop and researched the legends and myths of Lilith, trying to figure out some old habits she held that might be a clue in finding her. Her fingertip glazed over her keyboard as she typed. She glanced over her laptop screen, her head still down, and saw as Sam sat in his chair, right after hanging up from Bobby.

"He's on it," Sam sighed, sitting at his laptop and doing the same thing Kim was.

"Good," Kim nodded, looking back to her screen, planning to not look up for a good four hours or so. The room fell into silence and she easily fell into the pits of deep research. Her nose was deep in the computer and her eyes quickly read over the large paragraph on her screen.

Hours had passed. Her neck was aching and her back was uncomfortably hunched. Dean had gone to bed soon after Kim started researching and Sam stopped about an hour or so into the hunt. Kim stayed up, and even though it was way past midnight, Kim's eyes didn't weigh heavy. She had stayed up all night. There was a couple of times throughout the night where she had to rip herself from her laptop just so that her eyes could de-blur. When she stared at the screen too long, she would feel an immense pain at the back of her eyes and behind her brain, a constant throbbing. Kim only looked at the time once, and it was only minutes before she decided to go to bed, leaving her notes out and laptop open, she climbed into bed at 4:56.

•※•

7:34.

Kim woke with only two and a half hours of sleep, and if she had the strength she would have told you, it was a bitch. Getting up was difficult, staying up was even more so. Her eyes were heavier than they were before she got some rest and all she wanted to do was fall back onto her bed and fall asleep for another few hours, but Sam needed her up. He had woke up early so that he could start his research and shook Kim awake, unaware that she crawled into bed only two hours before.

Kim sighed and rolled out of bed, waddling her way towards the instant coffee in hope to wake her up a bit more. Pouring herself a cup, she poured some for Sam too, bringing it to him. He took it, not looking away from his laptop he sat in front of. Kim plonked herself down next to her notes, slipping some coffee on them. She glanced over them quickly, a whole page of scribbled facts and myths before regarding them useless, flipping the page to start fresh. She hadn't found anything useful at all and decided to move from the topic of Lilith to the topic of items that could kill demons and as she researched, her mind switched to Ruby and her knife.

She began to type away but her eyes were heavy. They were sore and throbbing, the bright screen hurting her eyes. She sighed, rubbing her eyes before taking a sip of coffee, sighing in satisfaction as she got a hit of caffeine. Her eyes went back to her laptop after only a few seconds of relief to obtain another hour of research.

As she was reading, she felt a gaze on her. Looking up, she met her gaze with Sam's as he looked down at her in concern. Looking up at him lazily, she swallowed another gulp of coffee.

"What?" she asked hastily. Sam cringed slightly in retreat, his expression of concern not leaving his face.

"Nothing... just uh, when did you go to bed yesterday?" Sam asked softly.

"You mean today?" Kim scoffed, taking another sip, "About five-ish," Kim shrugged looking back at her laptop. Sam choked on his coffee slightly. He wasn't shy to late nights but it was extremely rare if he got two hours sleep, and normally, when a night like that occurred, he would find time to sleep in the middle of the day.

"Two hours?" Sam blurted in surprise, "Go back to bed, Kim. If I knew you fell asleep only two hours ago I wouldn't have woken you up," he continued, shooing her to bed. She thought about it for a moment, looking to her welcoming bed before switching to a peacefully sleeping Dean. His motionless and still body only motivated her more to complete her research and do anything she could to help.

"Nah, I'm good," she sighed rubbing her eyes softly before moving back to her laptop.

"Kim, get some sleep. You're not useful if you fall asleep on your laptop," Sam persisted.

"That's what the coffee's for," Kim huffed a laugh, taking another sip.

"Kim-" Sam warned lowly. He was completely serious, his tone of concern only deepening. Kim put her hands up in surrender as she got up from her chair and moved to her bed.

"Fine," Kim sighed rolling into bed, "If you insist." Sam laughed softly as she drownder herself in blankets, and Sam made sure she got another three hours sleep, at least.


	35. Chapter Thirty-Three

Kim sat in front of her books in a rather dusty and old looking motel room, her eyes quickly searching the page for something significant. The huge book was faced open on the table and as Kim's eyes scanned it, they switched over to Dean who was sitting next to her, face down in his book, asleep.

He slept with a slightly uncomfortable expression on his face, his body slumped in an awkward position. Her eyes scanned him, his sleeping form enhancing how helpless he was compared to Hell. Her eyes moved back to her book, scanning over the word 'hellhound' about one hundred times, but nothing good had come out of it. Nothing good was going to come from researching hellhounds, but it was the only thing they could research until Bobby found a way to find Lilith.

Quickly, her eyes jumped back to Dean as he awoke and sat up. He was breathing heavily, a small amount of sweat pouring from his forehead. Kim knew with how little time he had left, he would be starting to have hallucinations, dreams, about hellhound and hells. It was part of the job description.

A bit shaken, Dean looked around the room and landed on Kim as she read her book. Their eyes met but she tore away quickly, back to her book.

"How are the dreams treating you?" Kim asked, not making eye contact. Dean panted, looking at her.

"How'd you know?" Dean asked as if it wasn't obvious enough.

"That's what happens when Hellhounds are on your tail," Kim announced, glancing up at him. Sam marched into the room, book in hand. "It's not the only thing that's gonna change," Kim looked back down. Dean sent her a look, not really sure what she was talking about. Before he could ask, Sam entered the room as Kim finished her sentence.

"Dig up anything good?" Dean switched from Kim to Sam, closing his book and shook his head.

"No," Dean cleared his throat, "Nothing good."

"Well, Bobby has. Finally," Sam continued. Kim looked up from her book.

"Yeah?" Kim and Dean asked.

"Yeah. A way to find Lilith."

"Great." Kim gestured for him to continue.

"Oh. With just uh-" Dean looked at his watch, "thirty hours to go," he said, a bit beaten, but he smiled anyway, "Hey, why don't we just make a TJ-run, yeah? You know... some senoritas, uh, we could... What's Spanish for 'donkey show'?" Dean smiled, his sneaky idea to have one last 'death wish' before he died. Sam smiled and shook his head as did Kim and sniggered.

"So if we do save you... Let's never do that," Sam snickered.

"Yeah..." Kim continued. Dean smiled and looked down as Kim's slight smile turned into a line. Sam grabbed a chair and took a seat between Kim and Dean, facing his brother.

"Hey, Dean," Sam sighed, "Look, we're cutting it close, I know. But we're gonna get this done. I don't care what it takes, Dean. You're not gonna go to Hell. I'm not gonna let you." Sam stopped and looked to Kim, "We won't let you." Dean looked over to them, "I swear. Everything's going to be okay," Sam said, looking over to Kim who simply nodded. Dean saw his gesture and glanced at Kim, who met his gaze.

Dean's expression changed as he looked at the two of them, suddenly seeming scared as he stared at them. Dean cringed in fear at the sight of the two of them and although Sam hadn't taken much notice, Kim knew it was his hallucinations.

•※•

Sam, Kim and Dean made their way to Bobby's house, eager to figure out his way to find Lilith. Parking the Impala just outside Bobby's house, the three of them hopped out of the car. Looking around the junkyard, she spotted her Jeep parked next to broken down cars and junk pieces. Smiling slightly, she followed the boys to Bobby's front porch, knocking once and yelling out for him.

Bobby answered, the four of them greeted each other as he led them to his table, where he had set up an ancient way to contact people. A map of the United States was open on the table, an old tracking device placed over it. It was ancient and had three wooden legs sprouting from a crystal ball on top of it, a strip of metal around the legs to stamped with some symbols. The ball was small, with a thin metal pole going through it, aiming somewhere on the map, like a pendulum.

The three of them stood over the table, the three of them looking down on the ancient contraption with much confusion and interest. It wasn't something Kim had ever seen before, and she had no idea how something like that was going to find Lilith.

"So you need a name, that's the whole kit and caboodle. With the right name, right ritual, ain't nothing you can't suss out," Bobby informed.

"Like the town Lilith's in?" Sam asked.

"Kid, when I get done, we'll know the street," Bobby gloated before beginning the ritual, the Latin chant. The three of them watched with interest as the pendulum began to swing, moving around the map until it stopped.

"New Harmony, Indiana," Dean said as he looked between Bobby and the map.

"And we have a winner," Bobby grouched upliftingly as the pendulum stopped.

"Alright," Sam muttered as he looked at Kim and grabbed his coat, "Let's go," he said, heading for the door.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on. Let's all shut up there, Tex." Dean hunted Sam in his stride out the door.

"What's the problem?" Sam asked confused. They had found Lilith, located her whereabouts and after all the trouble Kim, Sam and Bobby went through to find her, he was hesitant.

"What's the problem? Come on, where do I begin?" Dean scoffed, "I mean, first of all, we don't even know if Lilith holds my deal. We're going off of Bela's intel. Now when that bitch breathes, the air comes out crooked." Kim huffed a small laugh. "Okay. Second, even if we could get to Lilith, we have no way to gank her. And third, isn't this the Same Lilith that wants your giant head on a pike? Should I continue?"

"Look at the gratitude. I can see it radiating in your tone of voice," Kim sassed as she crossed her arms.

"Yeah, well, it's a gift," Dean grouched.

"I'm sorry, so then what are we supposed to do, Dean?" Sam asked, slaughtered faster aged and flustered.

"Just 'cause I gotta die doesn't mean you have to, okay. Either we go in smart or we don't go in at all," Dean demanded.

"Okay, fine. If that's the case I have the answer," Sam insisted.

"You do?" Dean questioned sarcastically.

"Yeah. A sure-fire way to confirm it's Lilith and a way to get us a bona fide demon-killing Ginsu," Sam nodded, moving closer to his persistent brother.

"Damn it, Sam, no," Dean argued, knowing exactly what he meant by 'a sure-fire way'. Kim looked at him and sainted her eyes suspiciously. He hadn't talked to her about his way to kill Lilith but she believed she knew what it was.

"We don't have time for your jibber-jabber, Dean. Time is running out," Kim insisted. Dean turned away from her and Sam.

"We're so past arguing. Dean, I am summoning Ruby," Sam persisted as Kim turned to glare at him. She knew it would be a bad decision to call her, considering the fact that she was a sceptically evil demon.

"The hell you are! We have enough problems as it is," Dean growled at his brother.

"Exactly," Sam walked up to him, "And we've got no time and no choice either," Sam reminded, hoping to persuade his argument.

"Come on man, she is the Miss Universe of lying skanks, okay. She told you that she could save me, huh – lie. She seems to know everything about Lilith but forgot to mention, oh right – Lilith owns my soul!" Dean spat, but everything he said was true. Ruby promised Sam that she had a way to save him, yet the first time she met Dean, she admitted to lying. She literally told Dean she couldn't save him, causing an infuriating anger to grow inside Dean and Kim towards her.

"Okay, fine. She's a liar. She's still got that knife," Sam persisted, looking to Kim as he said it. Kim's expression flattened and her jaw clenched at the mention of the knife, but she didn't say a word.

"Dean," Bobby tried.

"For all we know, she works for Lilith," Dean sneered. Kim agreed immediately, not trusting her for the start. Not some demon with a demon-killing knife.

"Then give me another option, Dean. I mean, tell me what else," Sam encouraged flatly, but nothing was happening.

"Sam's right," Bobby enforced but Dean wasn't having any of it.

"No, damn it!" Dean screamed with pure frustration. No one seemed to be listening to him and he refused to send his brother into danger for something that might not work. Dean took a breath, looking at Kim for a second.

"Kim?" Dean asked for some sort of reassurance. He knew that Kim shared the hatred he had for Bela, and he knew that they also shared it for Ruby, so he hoped to have someone on his side.

"Dean has a point. I don't trust Ruby at all," Kim admitted although it was obvious.

"Because of the Knife?" Sam asked suddenly.

"Excuse me?" Kim snapped. "She's a demon. That's why I don't trust her." Kim quickly changed the subject. "Ruby is a trap."

"Just no. We are not gonna make the same mistakes all over again." Bobby and Sam looked around in shock. "You guys wanna save me, find something else."

"That, I don't agree with," Kim shook her head as they all looked to her. "Lilith is our only lead and with thirty hours to go, we're out of options," Kim huffed.

"So how are we gonna gank her without Ruby's knife-"

"The Knife of Kurds," Kim corrected quickly. There was a silence as Kim thought for a second. For a moment, the memory of a demon decaying with a touch of her hand. "I don't know," she admitted. "She's still a demon, we can exorcise her," Kim shrugged. She knew her argument wasn't convincing. She wasn't even convinced, but she hated the idea of contacting Ruby for help.

Help. What a disgusting word.

"So, your plan is to dive head first in with a bundle of Latin words?" Bobby sassed and Kim rolled her eyes.

"Okay, I get it. It was stupid. I just don't-I don't wanna contact a demon for help," Kim grimaced. Sam, Kim and Bobby looked at him before walking back to where they were before.

As the four of them sighed, trying to think of something else before Bobby went to grab his jacket and head of the door.

"Where are you going, Bobby?" Sam asked. Bobby looked back to them as they watched his wait at the doorway.

"I guess to..." he throws out his arms, "find something else." Sam sighed, looking into space as Kim rubbed her forehead in frustration.

•※•

Some time had passed and Dean was sitting on the couch, silently stressing as he looked into the distance, holding his beer by the neck of the bottle. Sam had left to go to the basement for some quiet time to cool down and research. It was true, he had a lot of pressure and determination pent up inside of him. Kim sat at the table, her old, trusty laptop in front of her. She searched quickly for as many things as she could, even using some basic hacking skills Ash had taught her to hack into some websites that had some chance of helping.

After a while, Kim and Dean heard some talking form the basement. Kim raised an eyebrow to Dean, which he returned, gesturing that he didn't know he had anyone down there. The voices continued as Kim looked back to her laptop, both of them had the same idea in their head. Kim glanced up to see Dean staring at her.

"Let's go," Dean said and Kim picked herself up from her seat, walking with his to the descending stairs into the basement. As they got closer to the end, the voices became recognisable. They stood on the stairs, Dean held an arm out for Kim to stop and they listened to their conversation for a bit.

"So that's you, huh? Our slutty little Yoda," Dean said as the two of them showed up behind Ruby, both a disappointed and betrayed look on his face. Dean swaggered up to her with Kim by his side, a rage-filled expression engraved in her skin. They listened as she spoke about a power she could unleash in him, something that could save Dean.

"Dean. Kim," Ruby acknowledged as she turned around to look at them. All the softness she had in her voice as she talked to Sam disappeared. "Charming as ever." Kim and Dean be game to walk up to her and Sam threatening. He begins walking towards her and Sam.

"Aw, I knew you'd show up. Because I knew Sam wouldn't listen." Sam looked away quickly, ashamed. Sam looks at him but looks away quickly. Kim's jaw clenched in anger at the sight of Ruby and all she could think about was her dirty hands holding her knife. Dean noticed her expression. "But you're not gonna teach him anything, you understand me? Over my dead body."

"Oh. Well, you're right about that," Ruby sassed evilly,

"Give me the knife," Kim demanded, stepping even closer than Dean did. Kim held her stance, her threatening demeaned not slipping.

"And then you can just go crawl back into whatever slop you came from and never bother me, Kim or my brother again. Are we clear?" Dean finished, raising an eyebrow at Ruby, waiting for a response.

"Your brother is carrying a bomb inside of him and we'd be stupid not to use it!" Ruby argued, knowing her argument would drag Sam on her side.

"Dean, look, just hold on for one–" Sam started but was viscously interpreted.

"Sam! Don't. Come on man, what, are you blind? Can't you see that this is a trick?" Dean yelled at his brother.

"That's not true," Ruby defended.

"Bullshit!" Kim spat as Ruby sent her a raged look, suddenly very swear of her. Kim knew Ruby hated her as much as she hated Ruby, causing a twisted smirk to appear on her lips.

"She wants you to give in to this whole demonic psychic whatever, okay. I mean hell, she probably wants you to become her little anti-christ Super Star," Dean continued.

"I want Lilith dead. That's all," Ruby spat.

"Why?" Dean seethed.

"I've told you why!" Ruby defended.

"Oh, right, yeah. Because you were human once and you liked kittens and long walks on the beach," Dean mocked.

"You know, I am so sick of proving myself to you! You wanna save yourself, this is how! You dumb, spineless dick," Ruby hissed dominantly before turning to Kim, a glare of wrath in her eyes. Kim's eyes flickered over Ruby for a second, the two of them being awfully close. Her eyes glanced at the knife in Ruby's back pocket, the knife she thought she would never see again. Her jaw clenched harder, an immense pain spreading throughout her teeth. A pressure so intense she was sure she would chip a tooth. The smirk Ruby had was taunting her.

Taking an angrily shaky breath in, Kim went to turn away, only to twist around and swinging a right hooked punch to her jaw, sending her stumbling back. Kim punched with such hatred and force, her knuckles began to instantly bruise but her anger didn't fray. As Ruby stumbled back, Kim sent another punch to her face ending with a forceful kick to the stomach and a sweep to her legs, sending Ruby down on her back. Landing with a grunt, Ruby sent Kim flying across the room, arching her back as she laid on the floor in pain. Kim smashed against a brick wall, her back faulting as she crumbled to the floor. She let out a cry of pain, her hand shooting to her back. Sucking in her pain with a quick breath, she shot up and charged at Ruby, holding her still by her shoulders as she sent repeated kicks to Ruby's stomach, the sound of Ruby's groans filled the room.

Blood dripped down Kim's knuckles and down her neck, a throbbing ache ran down her spine. She was running off of the pure adrenaline of bashing Ruby. Ruby regained her balance and sent a violent punch to Kim's face, repeating until Kim's nose was bleeding. Kim pushed her feet in between Ruby's legs, twisting it around, causing her to trip on top of Kim, sending them both crumbling to the cold concrete floor. Dean began to help, pulling Ruby off Kim as she fell on top of her.

Kim stumbled off the floor, her vision blurred, but she could make out what was happening. Very unstable, she held herself up, a throbbing headache seeping through her and her vision dotted black. Stumbling her way towards Dean, who was holding Ruby back, Kim held her bloody fist up, dripping in blood as she stumbled towards them, sending one last punch to Ruby, throwing her back into a demon's trap.

With a bloody smirk, Kim sighed satisfied. "You bastard! I'll kill you!" Ruby screamed and she went to charge at her but was stopped by an invisible force. All four of them looked up slowly, eyeing the demon trap above her head. Licking her blood-stained teeth, Kim took a deep breath twirling her newly reclaimed demon knife in her hand tauntingly.

"Thank you very much," Kim smirked satisfied as she twirled the knife, holding it up slightly for Ruby to see.

"Give that back, that's mine!" Ruby hissed angrily as she tried to lung for it. Kim didn't flinch, in fact, her smirk grew at her failed attended, slipping her knife into her pocket.

"Is it?" Kim asked tauntingly, Ruby's expression flattened to a scowl, clenching her jaw in denial. Kim stood strong, whipping a bit of dripping blood off her proud face as the boys moved to stand by her side, supportively, even though they went sure exactly what was happening.

"Kim, right?" Ruby sighed breathlessly, with a smile on her lips. "Daddy says 'hi'." Kim's eyes darkened as the boys looked at her slowly. Kim didn't acknowledge their movements as her jaw stiffened, wiping out her demon knife.

"You shouldn't bite the bitch with the demon knife," Kim seethed as she rolled the knife around threateningly between her fingers, but Ruby just smirked.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Ruby teased as Kim stiffened, "After a long twelve years to have it back in your hands? You can finally use it. Now that you're the last Harper standing, no one can tell you otherwise," Ruby ended with a smirked as Kim's grip tightened around the knife.

"Damn right."

"Back? What is she talking about?" Dean asked Kim but she didn't acknowledge him at first, but when Ruby's smirk grew to a happily shocked expression, she knew she had to say something.

"Nothing," Kim insisted.

"She didn't tell you, didn't she?" Ruby smiled widely as Kim's expression stayed stern. Ruby was about to start talking again but Kim charged, her demon knife held high in attack. But before she could even enter the demon trap, two large hands wrapped around her waist to draw her back. Being pulled into a had chest, Kim thrashed to be free. She ripped herself out of the grip and looked up to Sam, who had stopped her from killing Ruby.

"Didn't tell us what?" Dean asked lowly as Sam held his hand in front of Kim to prevent her from charging again. Ruby smirked at his question as Kim's jaw clenched in extreme anger. Her jaw was so stiff, she could hardly even speak to defend herself.

"You never wondered how she knew about the Knife of Kurds? Or why she knew so much about hellhounds and demon deals? Or why she was hesitant to help Sam save Dean? You never wondered how she knew nothing would save Dean?" Ruby smirked.

"Shut up," Kim growled lowly through her teeth.

"She knows because she's tried." Ruby's smile only grew. "You see, her daddy made a deal–"

"I said, shut up," Kim hissed again, a bit louder.

"The knife and a promise – that his first child to be protected from all demons – for his soul. That didn't keep her alive for long, did it?" she stopped for a second to let all the information sink in. Sam and Dean were frozen in shock as Kim just kept getting angrier and angrier. She could feel her blood boiling and her heart beat rising as Sam moved his hand to Kim's shoulder, giving her a reassuring squeeze.

"Such a shame it went to waste. Sisters dead, lost the knife–"

"It wasn't lost! You stole it!"

"–and now daddy's stuck in Hell for nothing. And I can tell you now, he didn't escape like John did." Kim ripped her shoulder out of Sam's grip, but she stood her ground.

"And the best part is, none of this would have happened if you were never born."

"Shut up!" Kim screamed, her voices shaking the basement. Kim was beyond furious, the rage in her voice had reached a level Sam didn't think was possible. She cringed at her level of exposure, her story being told.

The boys stood behind her, shocked at the story they had just heard, but Kim was determined to change the subject and put the focus back on Sam.

"You're not doing anything with Sam, okay?!" Kim screamed at Ruby. With the knife still in her hand, she slipped it into her back pocket before turning to Sam, taking a deep breath. "I got the knife like you wanted," Kim nodded toward a Sam and then Dean, "Let's go." Kim started walking towards the stair. Kim and Dean started walking.

"Wait! You're just gonna leave me here?" Dean stopped and waited for Sam and ignored Ruby and she pleaded to be free.

"Let's go, Sam." Sam walked over silently, Dean took a deep breath as Kim still boiled with pent-up rage.

"Oh, oh you – so you're just too stupid to live, is that it? Then fine! You deserve Hell! I wish I could be there, Dean. I wish I could smell the flesh sizzle off your bones! I wish I could be there to hear you scream!" Ruby spat at the sight of Dean back head. Dean turned around, a stern expression on his face as he turned to her.

"And I wish you'd shut your pie hole, but we don't always get what we want."

•※•

Upstairs, the three of them sat in silence as the past events played in their heads. Kim sat by herself, polishing her demon knife, her iron knife lying freshly polished on the table. Sam and Dean were also separate, cleaning their weapons in the utmost silence. Dean would send Kim a few glances every now and then, but she would never meet his gaze, although she felt his eyes on her.

"You gonna say anything, Kim? Maybe explain?" Dean asked, glancing up as he polished his gun before clicking it together. Kim didn't look up, her eye still on the knife she hadn't seen in too many years.

"Nope," she breathed, hoping the conversation would end there. She felt exposed. Dean nodded, but he didn't except her answer.

"So you grew up with that knife. Ever planning on telling us that?" Dean scowled.

"Nope."

There was a silence, Dean persistence stopped by a firm glare from Kim, but he didn't give up, he was merely pausing. He was going to find out what was going on before he went to Hell. Sam knew it was hard for Kim to listen to someone exploit her, especially since she was so unwilling to talk about it herself.

"Why would your dad make a deal to protect your sister but not you," Sam asked. Kim didn't answer straight away, she didn't even look up to acknowledge his words. She had made it her mission to ignore them as much as possible, but the brothers made it quite obvious they were waiting for her response.

"How would I know?" Kim questioned. Her head remained down as she spoke, missing the look Dean shared with Sam. Dean knew that Sam wanted answers as much as he did, so he decided to push a little further than he normally would.

"I don't know. You seem to know a lot you don't talk about," Dean commented, his voice a painful monotone.

"Stop, okay?" Kim snapped, their persisting nature began to annoy her.

"Sticking up for dad, huh?"

"Enough."

"I know you weren't born yet, but what type of father sells his soul for only one-" Kim didn't listen to the rest of his sentence, she couldn't. It was hard to describe the wrath and misery Kim possessed as she tried her best to block out Dean, but he just wouldn't stop. She was desperate to stop him, so very desperate.

"I wasn't supposed to be born, okay?" Kim snapped viciously, unable to believe those words just escaped her lips, but they already knew most of the story, and she was so, so desperate.

"My mom couldn't have kids, so they adopted my sister," she shrugged displeased, "Then I came along, what a miracle I am," Kim scoffed at her words, knowing they were anything but true. She stayed silent for a few moments, her eyes looking down as she glanced around uncomfortable, skipping a few details of the story. "That's why dad only sold his soul for Sarah, 'cause I was never meant to be born."

The room fell into a quick silence, Kim's hollow words drifted around the room as they repeated in everyone's head. She couldn't believe she just told them that. A wave of helpless insecurity washed over her, a feeling she refused to feel. She was not helpless, never. It wasn't an option.

shaking off her disgusting feeling, she shrugged trying to destroy an arousing feeling of exposure, one she was very unfamiliar with. Never in her wildest dreams would she think that she would explain her story to such hunters. It was an extremely uncomfortable thing for her to do, and she instantly regretted it.

Wetting her lips, she shook her head as it stayed down. She regretted saying anything, but she knew there was nothing she could do to make them forget what she said. Things like that aren't just something people forget about.

"Is that what you wanted to hear?" Kim spat, but it was mostly to herself, reminding herself of how useless she was, is and will continue to be. When the boys didn't answer, she scoffed a laugh, a clenching pain struck her heart. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

With that, Kim stood and fled the scene, carrying her laptop in her hand. Although she had spent a whole year of her childhood trying to find a way to save her dad, and a whole year of her adulthood doing the same for Dean, she didn't give up. It wasn't in the job description. Besides, she had something she didn't have back then, help.

Kim stayed in the separate room for a while as she stared at her demon knife she displayed on the counter as she researched. With the knife and the knowledge of Lilith's location, she knew that they were wasting time sitting down, 'researching', but the walls were thin were they were staying, and Kim could hear every word.

"All I'm saying," Dean chocked, getting a bit flustered as he talked to his brother, "Sammy, all I'm saying is that you're my weak spot. Sam looks over at him at this. You are. And I'm yours."

"You don't mean that. We're... we're family," Sam said, just as emotional as Dean.

"I know. And those evil sons of bitches know it too. I mean, what we'll do for each other, you know, how far we'll go? They're using it against us."

"So what? We just stop looking out for each other?"

"No, we stop being martyrs, man. We– we stop spreading it for these demons," Dean sighed, trying to make it as obvious as possible to his younger brother that he didn't need Ruby, all while trying to keep him safe.

"We take that knife, and we go after Lilith our way. The way Dad taught us to. And if we go down, then, uh... then we go down swinging." Sam just looked at Dean. "What do you think?" Sam looked down at the floor as he thought about it.

"I think you totally should have been jamming 'Eye of the Tiger' right there," Sam smirked, lightening the mood.

"Oh, bite me. I totally rehearsed that speech, too." Sam smiled a bit. Kim noticed the heart-to-heart had ended and decided to make her appearance.

"So, Indiana, huh?" Kim nodded, stepping into the room the brothers were in.

"Yeah, where Lilith's on shore-leave."

"Yeah, I guess." Sam nodded as the three of them started packing, Kim keeping a close eye on her knife.

"Tell me something," Dean said as he packed, "the hell's a demon do for fun?" Kim smirked as she packed her bags. Dean led them to the Impala and the three of them hopped in, a newly refurbished hope struck in all of them. Dean started the car, expecting to hear her normal purr, instead, they heard a struggle to turn on. The three of them shared a worried look as Bobby showed by Dean's driver window.

"Where do you think you're going?" Bobby interrogated them as they sat in the immobile car, the distributor cap firmly in his hand. With a sigh, the three of them hopped out of the car and stood before a very unhappy Bobby.

"We got the knife," Dean confirmed but Bobby's expression didn't lighten.

"And you intend to use it without me," Bobby questioned tastelessly. Neither of them answered. Bobby looked at them with a bewildered expression. "Do I look like a ditchable prom date to you?" he growled.

"No, Bobby. Of course not," Sam insisted as Kim shuffled awkwardly on her feet.

"This is about me... Sam and Kim, okay? This isn't your fight." Kim cringed slightly. There were so many better ways to say that. Bobby walked closer to Dean, furiously.

"The hell it isn't!" Bobby growled. Dean looked up at him, a bit taken back. Bobby scowled over the three before him protectively, and a bit betrayed that they didn't see what he saw.

"Family don't end with blood, boy," Bobby gruffed wisely, a minuscule smirk appeared on Kim's lips at his words. "Besides, you need me."

"Bobby," Dean insisted.

"You're playing wounded. Tell me, how many hallucinations have you had so far?" Bobby squinted ta him as Sam sent him a concerned look. Kim looked down slightly.

"How'd you know?"

"Because that's what happens when you've got hellhounds on your butt. And because I'm smart," Bobby smirked proudly, as did Kim as Bobby had just unknowingly given her a compliment since she said the same to Dean not long ago. Dean sent Kim a glance as she just shrugged knowingly.

Dean then looked to the ground as Sam watched. bobby handed Dean the distributor cap and huffed.

"I'll follow," Bobby muttered as he walked over to his car. After a few moments, Dean walked over to Baby's hood, ready to put the vital part back in. "Don't be stopping to pee every ten minutes either." Dean stopped in his tracks and shook his head at his smart-ass comment. Then, after reassembling his car, he looked over to Sam who echoed a looked of disappointment and worry.

•※•

It was night and they were still on their way to Indiana. The black landscape matched their mood, the weight of knowing that the three of them were undoubtedly riding towards Dean's death or salvation. Either way, the weight of Dean's survival took a toll on all of them.

"Hey, Dean?" Sam muttered awkwardly.

"Yeah?" Dean asked before Sam fell into a moment of silence for a few seconds, mustering up the courage it took to admit those few words that lingered in his mind.

"You know if this doesn't uh... this doesn't go the way we want, I want you to know -"

"No. No, no, no, no," Dean halted.

"No what?" Dean looked over at Sam, who was a bit shocked and hurt at the obstruction of his feelings.

"No, you're not gonna bust out the misty goodbye speech, okay? And if this is my last day on earth, I do not want it to be socially awkward." Dean nodded firmly, assuring Sam that Kim knew exactly what he meant and that he felt the same. Sam nodded once and looked out of the window as Dean looked at Kim through the mirror. Quickly, and without a sound, Kim sent a single nod to Dean making sure he knew that she felt the same. If Dean had watched her for a second less, he would have missed the humble tilt of her eyebrows which instantly changed her expression from flat to sorrowful.

Kim sat in the back comfortably, although the tension in the car was extremely uncomfortable, over the past year and a half or so, she had made the back seat her own. Resting her head on the window, she felt the vibrations of the car as they drove down the road, Bobby not far behind them, she enjoyed the silence. It was something they didn't get often and quite a valuable thing many take for granted.

But even the precious sound of silence was nothing compared to this.

"You know what I do want?" Kim watched from the back as Dean reached down for the radio. as he switched it on, Bon Jovi's 'Wanted Dead or Alive' started blaring through the speakers.

"Bon Jovi?" Kim asked from the back, a bit confused as Sam wore a slightly disgusted face.

"Bon Jovi rocks, on occasion." Dean looked over his shoulder to Kim. He didn't want to see her through a mirror, he wanted to see her.

"And I walk these streets. A loaded six-string on my back. I play for keeps," Dean started to sing, more or less talking the lyrics in rhythm, with the rough, grounded voice he worse so well. He turned to Sam and nudged him. "Come on," Dean encouraged before turning to Kim and doing the same. "'Cause I might not make it back I've been everywhere,"

" Oh yeah," Sam joined in, also off-pitch.

"and I'm standing tall," Sam laughed along with Kim form the back. "I've seen a million faces And I rocked 'em all," the brothers sang together. Dean looked at Kim in the back, a small smile on her face.

"Come on, Kim!" he encouraged. For a second, their eyes locked and Kim searched his eyes, and saw the older brother that sung to Bon Jovi, just to distract his younger brother for a moment or two.

Kim swallowed deeply, seeing everything he didn't want her to see in his eyes. In hopes of not ruining things, Kim sucked in a breath.

"'Cause I'm a cowboy," Kim sang loudly, "On a steel horse I ride. I'm wanted,"

"Wanted!" Sam sang enthusiastically, chucking his head back before looking at his brother with a smile.

"Dead or alive!" Sam and Kim sang together as Dean looked back out onto the road. Dean looked back at Sam, a wide smile on his lips as he sung, loudly and out of tune. He laughed slightly, but Dean's smile began to fade, suddenly not singing the lyrics anymore.

He stared straight ahead, into the dark abyss of the black road. His one cheery expression completely flat as they drove.

"Dead or alive!"


	36. Chapter Thirty-Four

When the song finished, the three of them continued their drive as normal. The expected nerves settled in again and the ride soon fell silent, except for the radio blaring songs. They sped down the highway with a growing urge to find Lilith. As they drove, the sound of police sirens came closer to them.

"We getting pulled over?" Sam asked.

"I've got a busted tail-light. It's not like we're in a hurry or nothing," Dean sighed heavily, annoyed.

With a groan, Dean looked in his rearview mirror and saw the police car nearing; Dean parked on the side of the road, Bobby parked just behind. As Dean parked the car, Sam held out Dean's licence and registration between two fingers as Dean snatched it out of his hands.

The police officer walked up to Dean's window, looking into the car and eyeing all the passengers, flashing them with his flashlight.

"Problem officer?" Dean smiled cockily.

"Licence and registration, please." Dean headed the Officer the papers Sam had handed him, not bothering to look at him as he did.

"Do you realise you have a tail-light out, Mr Hagard?" The Officer looked down at his cards, flashing them with his flashlight and then flashing it at Dean. Dean looked up at him as the officer shone the light in his face. The Officer tilts his head so that it was clear for Dean to see besides the glare.

"Yes... yes sir. Uh... you know I've been meaning to... take care of that," Dean stuttered as he looked at the Officer.

"As a matter of fact..." Dean swung his door open rapidly, violently hitting the Officer in the stomach, sending him stumbling back. Kim's mouth fell open as she watched Dean storm out of the car and punches the Officer repeatedly.

"Dean!" Sam screamed as he ran out of the car and towards his brother, Kim following.

Dean pushed the Officer three times in the face as Kim ran by his side. The Officer was bleeding from his nose, bruises popping up of his cheeks. With a quick motion, Kim felt Dean's hand slip over her skin as he grabbed the demon knife from her waistband and stabbing it into the Officer, thrusting it into the jaw. They watched as he sparkled with orange light and fell dead on the floor.

Dean stood over the demon, hands behind him, panting after the fight. With a heavy breath, he handed over the demon knife back to Kim, who was standing next to him. Kim looked from the dead demon to the bloody knife gestured towards her, to Dean, who was looking down on the demon and shook her head, returning the knife.

"Thanks," Kim breathed, both of them staring at the body. Sam came rushing over as Kim cleaned the knife and tucked it into her waistband. Sam stood behind Dean, shocked. Bobby came running up at them, an astonished expression on his face.

"What the hell happened?" Bobby breathed astonished.

"Dean just killed a demon," Sam marvelled at the dead body. "How'd you know?" Dean, who was still breathing heavily, looked up at Kim. She knew exactly what was happening. Dean could see their faces, meaning his time was closing, before Dean looked at Sam.

"I just knew," Dean sighed, "I could see its face. Its real face under that one."

Bobby looked down on the Officer, just as Sam and Kim did, but they only saw the poor human that was tortured by that demon.

They went to hide the police car, wasting not time they didn't have. Getting huge branches from nearby trees and covered the car, hiding it from plain sight.

"So what, now you're seeing demons?" Sam exclaimed.

"I've seen all kinds of things lately but... nothing like this," Dean muttered, looking over to Kim. After what Ruby had exposed of her, he wondered if she knew that was going to happen.

"Actually it's not all that crazy," Bobby explained.

"How's it not that crazy?" Dean asked, slightly frustrated. The fluster of annoyance clear in his tone.

"Well, Dean's got, just over five hours to go? You're piercing the veil, Dean. You're glimpsing the B side," Bobby explained, but Dean didn't really get it.

"The less time you have, the more things will change. Started with the dream's, right? You've probably seen disfigurations of faces and stuff, along with the ability to see demons real faces. When you have minutes to second left, you begin to hear them; low growls and barks," Kim explained as she watched Dean's expression change. "So basically, you're almost Hell's bitch."

"So, you can see Hell's other bitches," Bobby finished. Dean first looked surprised, but then a mocking expression settled over his face,

"Thank you," he sassed.

"Well, actually it could come in pretty handy," Sam shrugged, taking the benefit of the doubt.

"Oh, well, I'm glad my doomed soul is good for something," Dean rolled his eyes.

"Damn right it is. Lilith's probably got demons stashed all over town. We can't let them sound the alarm. She knows we're here, we're dead before we're started," Bobby huffed.

"Well, this is a terrific plan. I'm excited to be a part of it. Can we go, please?" Dean began to walk to the Impala again, followed by the others.

•※•

The four of them arrived at their destination, a little sooner than some of them were hoping. Dean was enjoying the ride, more than usual, knowing it was the only thing before they confronted Lilith. Taking a deep breath, they stood around the outside corner of the house Lilith hid in, so they could get a clear view of the neighbours, streets and a straight view of inside the house.

Lilith disguising herself as a blond child with a bloodstained princess dress. She acted with a huge smile on her lips, while the people in her family sat around in fear. One person laid dead, they head laying flat on a plate of food as someone served Lilith a large slice of cake. It seemed like she was getting everything she wanted, considering she had her cake and was eating it too.

With a curled lip and cringed expression, Dean handed over the binoculars for Kim to use.

"It's the little girl. Her face is awful," Dean described as Kim looked through the binoculars, searching for the little girl. Kim shuffled her shoulders quickly before handing the binoculars to Sam.

"Alright then, let's go. We're wasting time," Sam said after his quick look. Sam walked past Bobby and Dean, moving to the front door. Before he could make it, Dean grabbed hold of Sam's shoulder, halting him in his pursuit.

"Wait," Dean hushed, spinning Sam to look at him.

"For what? For it to kill the rest of them?" Sam hissed lowly, the two of them trying to keep their voices down before Lilith finds them.

"Yeah, and us too if we're not careful. Look, see the real go-getter mailman on the clock at nine pm?" Dean hissed back at Sam as he held up the binoculars, seeing a suspicious looking postman fiddling with some mail as he searched the streets. "And Mr Rogers over there." Dean pointed to a neighbours window, where an old man was sitting in his house reading the newspaper.

"Demons?" Bobby asked.

"Yes," Dean nodded. Sam thought about it for a second before responding.

"Ok, fine. We– we–, we ninja pass those guys, sneak in," Sam suggested. Kim sent a flat look to Sam as he shrugged.

"Ninja pass all those demons? Come on, Sam. You can't even ninja pass me," Kim huffed as Sam sent her a flat look, "But you're right, we need to do this, and now," Kim insisted as she watched the demons look around suspiciously.

"They might even know that we're here already."

"Then what? Give a 'Columbian necktie' to a ten-year-old girl, come on!" Dean barked.

"Look, Dean, I know it's awful–"

"You think?"

"This isn't just about saving you, Dean. This is about saving everybody," Sam bribed.

"She's gotta be stopped, son," Bobby sighed. Dean sighed, looking from Bobby and then Lilith.

"Oh, damn it," Dean huffed as Kim smirked, grabbing the demons knife from her waistband and twirled it once between her fingers. She had been waiting for a time to use it.

"Let get ourselves some demons."

•※•

Kim and Sam stood in a bush behind a corner while Bobby went off to help somehow. They waited for Dean to lure the demons their way. Kim held the knife firmly, a wave of power lifted her. The bush bushed against Kim's exposed skin and the chilly night air did the same, raising some goosebumps on her skin. Nothing but the soft rustle of the nature surrounding them could be heard. Kim's heartbeat rose gradually as they waited in anticipation. Sam stood over her, looking out for Dean; and before they knew it, the sound of heavy footsteps ran their way. They watched as Dean ran past, the second pair of footsteps following.

Marching out, Kim stepped in front of the demon just in time to swing the knife straight into his chest. The satisfying crunch of the demon sent a minuscule, twisted smirk to Kim's lips. Ripping the knife out, she wiped the small amount of blood off her face.

Just as one demon was deemed dead, another – Mr Roger's – charged around the corner, prepared to attack. His eyes flashed black for a moment as Sam sprung into action, covering the mouth of the demon to stop him from screaming, holding him still as Kim plunged the knife into his stomach. They watched as he burned up in orange light and crumbled to the ground. Kim slowly pulled the knife out of the demon's stomach who laid dead on the ground before standing up and willing off the blood on her shirt. Dean grabbed Mr Roger's feet and dragged him into a secure hiding place, making sure no other liking demon could see them and sound the alarm.

Dean went off to lure any other demons into the same trap when someone shoved him forcefully against a fence he was passing. A small, female body held itself against Dean, holding him there. A hot breath tingled his neck as a twisted voice spat in his ear.

"I'd like my knife back, please. Or your neck snaps like a chicken bone," Ruby seethed threateningly. Instantly, Sam and Kim came up behind her and Kim held the ridged edge of the demons knife to her throat.

"I thought we made it pretty clear that it wasn't your knife," Kim hissed in her ear as she unwillingly removed herself from Dean. Sam stood next to Dean as Kim held the knife warily close to Ruby's skin.

"How the hell did you get out?" Dean huffed as he watched her.

"What you don't know about me could fill a book," Ruby hissed as Kim smirked. Dean suddenly reacted to her face, moving his head back and opened his eyes just a bit wider.

"Whoa," Dean grimaced.

"What?" Ruby huffed. Dean looked to his side, trying to avoid looking at her face but it was almost like he couldn't.

"Nothing. I just – I couldn't see you before, but you're one ugly broad," Dean curled his lips as Ruby shuffled trying to get out of Kim's grasp, but it only caused Kim to tighten her grip.

"Let her go, Kim," Sam sighed, seeing how vividly uncomfortable Ruby was.

"What?" Kim spat, "This bitch stole my knife and you want me to let her go? She lucky she's not dead yet," Kim continued, a disgusted look on her face.

"Cut it out Kim, come on," Sam insisted. Kim licked her teeth but held her ground.

"Listen to the professionals, Kim," Ruby teased, twitching Kim's nerves. "You're so good at it, after all." Kim ripped the knife off of Ruby's neck and pushed past her, meeting in line with the brother, greeting Ruby with a death glare. Ruby smirked slowly and stretched her neck menacingly as if taunting Kim that it was still intact.

Kim held her stance firmly, casting a wave of insecurity over Ruby. Kim had the upper hand, and she abated Ruby to know that she knew that, so with the knife – that Ruby so desperately wanted – in between her fingers, she twirled it around before placing it securely in her waistband.

"Don't talk to me about professionalism," Kim seethed, "What you don't know about me could fill a series," Kim mimicked her words as she glared at her as Dean smirked. "Why don't you do what you said you would and save Dean."

"I gave you a way to save Dean, you shot me down. Now it's too late. He's dead," Ruby hissed to all of them, before turning to Sam and directing her words to him, "And I'm not gonna let you die too."

"Try and stop me, and I'll kill you. Bitch," Sam sassed as Ruby straightener her stance.

"Hit me with your best shot, baby."

"Guys, guys! Hey. Have your little catfight later," Dean interrupted, forcing the three of them to look where Dean was looking. They started as two people – father and son – stood on a porch staring back at them; their eyes flickered back.

"Go, go, run, run!" Sam hustled, pushing everyone further as they ran, lots of demons ran after them. They aimed for Lilith's house, they hopped on their porch and Sam started instantly picking the lock.

"What the hell is taking Bobby?" Dean hissed as Sam had trouble picking the lock.

"I'm trying!" Sam huffed as the demons made their way onto the front lawn. There were many crack wing towards them, more than they were prepared to fight off with one knife. Kim's heartbeat started rising, the house firmly surrounded. Just in time, the sprinklers had turned on, filled with holy water, blessed by Bobby. The demons started to screamed and sizzle, halting them in their tracks.

"Perfect timing, Bobby," Kim whispered under her breath, laughing at the demons as Dean did. Sam finally got the door open and the four of them shoved inside.

"You think Lilith knows we're here?" Dean asked seriously, the mass of the whole situation suddenly weighing on his chest. His eyes glossed over with a reflection of worry. He didn't want to die, it was plain to see. His expression said otherwise where he played the demanding, protective brother who always had his game-face on because his brother needed that, but his eyes held the truth.

"Probably," Ruby said, unsettlingly. The four of them look around a bit, becoming aware of their surroundings. The demons that wanted Sam dead was in the same house as them, and the realization kept getting heavier as the second went on.

They started to walk through the house and towards the living room. Kim had her knife out, ready for anything. It felt so good to have it in her hand again and finally use it. She was only a mere seven-year-old when the knife was stolen, and her dad barely let her near it at that age. He hadn't told her much about it, how he got it or why it was so special an protected, all things she would gravely discover when she was older.

As they walked, Sam leading the way, Dean heard a creak from a nearby door. Quickly, Dean turns around and faces the door, putting his hand over the mouth of a Mr Fermont - the father of the little girl Lilith was possessing - capturing him in his firm grasp. Instantly, Dean 'shushed' him. He seemed extremely cooperative, nodding eagerly, an extream expression of terror over his face.

"We're here to help. Ok? I'm gonna move my hand, and we're gonna talk nice and quiet, okay?" Dean whispered as Mr Fermont nodded quickly. Dean nodded once and removed his hand from his mouth, prepared if he made any sudden noise.

"Sir, where is your daughter?" Sam asked softly. Mr Fermont shook his head in denial.

"It's not... it's not her anymore," he informed.

"Where is she?" Kim asked.

"Upstairs. In her bedroom," he pointed. Kim nodded and looked at Dean.

"Okay, okay, okay. Listen to me. I want you to go downstairs to the basement. Put a line of salt at the door behind you. Do you understand me?" Dean whispered firmly.

"Not without my wife," Mr Fermont shook.

"Yes, without your wife," Dean continued.

"No-" but before he could say anything else, Dean punched him straight in the face, knocking him out instantly. He collapsed into Dean's arms. He picked his up and placed him over his shoulder and gave Kim a look.

"I need to go with Sam," Dean told Kim, "I'm the only one who can see Lilith," Dean whispered, looking down at Kim. She knew exactly what he meant and she couldn't argue. There was no time. Kim wiped out the demon knife and handed it to Sam, who nodded once in acknowledgement.

Sighing, she held out one arm as Dean placed Mr Fermon on her shoulders. The second his weight was off his shoulder and onto hers, the three of them marched upstairs and towards Lilith's room.

Kim was quite a bit smaller than Dean, and although he held him comfortably over one shoulder, he was close to being dragged on the floor with Kim; so she shifted her weight and hauled him over her other shoulder, carrying him as if she was lifting weights on a bar.

She shifted her shoulders and separated her feet, evening out her weight. Carrying him down to the basement, she dumped him in the middle of the room and lined all the windows and doors with salt. After double checking no line of salt was broken, she moved back upstairs.

•※•

The three of them stood in the basement, Mr, Mrs and their daughter stood in a ring of salt.

"You stay in this salt, okay? Stay inside and make sure the line of salt isn't broken; and most importantly, no matter what you hear, you stay in the basement. You got it?" Kim instructed, giving them to the rules and making it as clear as she possibly could. They all nodded, and once Kim was satisfied, they all left.

"Well, I hate to be a 'told you so'." Ruby sassed as they made their way upstairs.

"Than don't say it," Kim growled, not bothering to look at her. Lilith had escaped before they had got the chance to kill her. Now, with minutes left, they had n idea where Lilith was or where she could be. If the weight was crushing before, they were suffocating now, all of them. Kim held a pain inside her, knowing her past was going to be repeated in minutes and she wasn't sure if she could take it.

Her heart was pounding, palms were sweating, the mind was racing and all she could imagine was what Dean could feel. She hated the thought of him going to Hell, and she hopped so much that this was that way to save him, but she knew that they couldn't do it. All that hope she possessed was nothing compared to the realisation of reality, and everything she had once hoped for was crumbling around her, just as it was when she was a kid.

"Alright Ruby, where is she?" Sam asked quickly, knowing that time was running out and Sam and Kim were getting restless.

"I don't know," she admitted as they entered the living room. Kim looked over at Dean, the utter hopelessness of his expression saddened her. She was filled with pity, regret, hatred and terror of all things she hoped to have said to Dean before he died. All things that were too long and too meaningful to express to him in the only minutes left of his life; and she knew she would regret it more if she spoke than if she didn't.

"Could she get past the sprinklers?"

"Her pay grade, she ain't sweating the holy water," Ruby explained.

"Ok, you win. What do I have to do?" Sam asked, but she looked at him was a questioning look.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"To save Dean," Sam continued, frustrated with her stalling, "What do you need me to do?"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Dean said coming up behind Sam, grabbing his shoulder. Sam pulled loose from his grip

"Just shut up for a second," Sam hushed, sending a shocked expression over Dean's face, "Ruby!"

"You had your chance! You can't just flip a switch! We needed time!" Ruby spat at him.

"Well, there's gotta be something! There's gotta be some way, whatever it is, I'll do it," Sam yelled, the panic of the ongoing time crushing him. Dean put another hand on his shoulder but Sam ripped out of his grasp again, refused to be stopped.

"Don't, Dean! I'm not gonna let you go to hell, Dean!" Sam yelled, turning to Sam.

"Yes, you are!" they looked to each other for a second, both broken, "Yes, you are," Dean said calmer. Sam just stared at his brother, breathless.

"I'm sorry. I mean this is all my fault, I know that. But what you're doing, it's not gonna save me. It's only gonna kill you." Sam looked away from his brother, while Kim stood immobilised, an unmanageable weight in her chest. It was really over, and again, there was nothing she could do.

"Then, what am I supposed to do?" Sam muttered brokenly, trying to hold back the tears for as long as he could.

"Keep fighting. Take care of my wheels. Sam, remember what Dad taught you... okay?" Dean told his brother as Sam sniffles softly, "And remember what I taught you." Dean added gravely as he watched his brother suck in a shaky breath. He turned to Kim and walked over to her. Her lips were parted and in shock as she let him wrap his strong arms around her. They engulfed her, and she willingly fell into his embrace, wrapping her arms desperately around his torso. Turning her face into the crook of his neck, Dean placed a secure hand on the back of her head. She sighed disappointedly.

"I'm sorry," she whispered strongly, wishing she could do more. She had a second chance and she screwed it up; she knew it too.

There was no doubt she was destroyed on the inside, but she refused to seem weak in Dean's last moment. Her tone strong suggested her immense grief, but in a way where she assured Dean that she would be okay.

Dean was the first to pull away, holding Kim's shoulders at arm's length so that he could speak to her, but she knew he wasn't very good with words. She nodded softly at him, signalling him that she already knew what he was going to say, without having to say anything. He huffed a grateful smile and nodded, his hands falling off of her and he instantly lost a sense of warmth.

"Take care, alright?" he told her as she smiled lightly, nodding.

"Always," Kim nodded. As tears built up on Dean's eyes as he stared between Sam and Kim, the grandfather clock ticked, striking midnight. Dean snapped his head in its direction and Kim knew that he was already hearing the growls of Hellhounds.

Dean looked at Sam who was facing the grandfather clock. Sam turned to his brother, tears down his cheeks. Dean gave a little smile to try and keep himself calm as he held back tears. Kim swallowed a lump in her throat, the panic seizing her body.

"I'm sorry, Dean. I wouldn't wish this upon my worst enemy," Ruby muttered to Dean. Dean expression instantly fell as he turned to face an invisible force beside him.

"It's here," Kim jolted.

"Hellhound," Dean breathed in terror, not taking his eyes off it in fear that it would move.

"Where?" Sam asked quickly.

"There." Dean pointed to an empty spot on the floor. It began to move closer and Dean bolted into the other room, the three of them following and slamming the door shut behind them. Kim applied all of her body weight against the door as Hellhounds scratched violently to get in. The sound of the wooden door shedding sounded through the panic-filled room as everyone's heartbeat increased.

Dean fumbled as he quickly took out a bag of goofer's dust and lined the door and windows, hopefully tapping them out. Kim could feel the ridged wood burrow into her skin as she pushed the door shut. When Dean was done, he flung himself on the door as well. They held the door shut as the Hellhounds pounded against it, sometimes jolting Kim as she pushed against it.

The pounding suddenly stopped for a second and they all stood still as Dean rushed to make sure the goofer's dust was set.

"Give me the knife, maybe I can fight it off," Ruby insisted, putting her hand out. Sam looked at her, a bit confused but she was turned to Kim, the one who held the knife. Kim took it out of her waistband and held it firmly in her hand. Although she hated the thought of handing it back to Ruby, it might be the only thing to help Dean.

"What?"

"Come on! That dust won't last forever," Ruby yelled and Kim squinted at her suspiciously. Kim hesitantly held the knife out for her.

"Wait!" Dean yelled at Kim, instantly stopping her hand retreating the knife back.

"You wanna die?" Ruby spat, turning to Dean.

"Kim, that's not Ruby. It's not Ruby!" Dean screamed as Kim held the knife up in defence. Everyone turned to 'Ruby' and watched as she sent Dean flying across the room, smashing hard against a table, pinning him. Dean grunted and held his head up, scowling painfully at Lilith, who had possessed Ruby's vessel.

"How long you been in her?" Dean seethed as Lilith's facial expression changed completely, turning slightly childlike.

"Not long," Lilith muttered with a childlike voice. She looked down at her body and smirked. "But I like it. It's all grown up and pretty." She looked up at Dean again who was struggling on the table, her eyes turned completely white, her smirk only widening. With a quick motion of her hand, she sent Sam and Kim against the wall, smashing her head against it.

"And where's Ruby?" Sam asked. Lilith's eyes turned back to normal.

"She was a very bad girl, so I sent her far, far away," Lilith smiled as she cracked her neck as she tilted it side to side.

"You know, I should have seen it before... but you all look alike to me," Dean choked out, the pressure of being pinned against a table affected his speaking. Lilith looked at him before her eyes traced over Kim before snapping her head to Sam. She started walking towards him, slowly, step by step becoming more menacing.

"Hello, Sam. I've wanted to meet you for a very long time," Lilith teased, barely any air between them. She took hold of Sam's chin as he moved his head, trying to avoid her. She pressed against him, forcing her lips onto his, engaging in an unwanted kiss. Sam moved his head away, breaking the kiss.

"Your lips are soft," Sam moved his head up and to the side, ignoring her.

"Right, so you have me. Let my brother go," Sam breathed looking down at her. She just smirked.

"Silly goose. You wanna bargain, you have to have something that I want. You don't," Lilith teased.

"So, is this your big plan, huh? Drag me to Hell. Kill Sam and Kim. And then what? Become queen bitch?" Dean hissed. Kim moved her head around as Lilith looked at Dean.

"I don't have to answer to puppy chow." She moved from Sam to Kim, looking her up and down as she struggled in pain. Kim looked away from her and Lilith just smirked. "You just happened to be in the wrong bar at the wrong time, didn't you? And now you're here, two years later–"

"And I wouldn't have it any other way," Kim spat as Lilith smiled. Dean was shaking on the table, writhing in pain. Lilith piped herself from Kim's presence and walked to the door, her eyes never leaving Dean, the smirk on her lips taunting. Grabbing the door handle, she smirked.

"Sic 'em, boy," Lilith called teasingly as she opened the door. The door swung open and the goofer's dust line bike. Kim screamed in her pinned position, struggling to get out.

Kim couldn't see them, but she knew they were there; and she watched – again – as they pounced on someone she held dear. Kim looked to Dean as a heavyweight landed on top of him, breaking the table. Dean fell down onto the pile of a wooden mess as claws dug into his skin, ripping flesh from his bones.

"Stop! Stop it!" Kim screamed as blood gushed from Dean's large, open wounds. The sound of Dean's screams of agony filled the room, followed by Sam and Kim's please and Lilith's laughing.

They thrashed against the wall, but Lilith's force was stronger. She watched helplessly as Dean cried in pain, blood pouring from him. Wounds appeared on his chest and stomach as the Hellhounds bit and clawed mercilessly into Dean, and no cry of pain or plea for mercy would stop them.

"No! Stop!" Sam yelled, his throat sore from screaming. The Hellhound dragged Dean slightly, shaking Dean's body as they ripped through his leg, a waterfall of blood following. Kim screamed as she watched, flashes of her father appearing before her.

"Enough! That's enough!" Kim screamed.

"Stop it!" Sam pleaded. The blood poured from his wounds like an ongoing flood, and Dean and stopped screaming.

"No!" Kim pleaded as she watched Dean fall motionless.

"Yes," Lilith smirked, as she held out her hand, he palm facing Sam and Kim. Kim looked at Dean, his body ripped to shreds. She screamed in pain, her heart clenched and her muscled throbbing. A pain inside her kept increasing as she thrashed against the wall. She focused everything she had on moving, everything she could summon. Every muscle in her body began to hurt. A loud scream erupted from her as she ripped herself off the wall, falling to the floor. Sam was still pinned and Lilith watched as Kim stood up unstable.

Fear soared through Lilith as she held her hand out, facing its power at Kim. A white light erupted from her hand, throwing Kim against the wall again, but she wasn't hovering like Sam was. It was just a mere force. Kim screamed as the light blinded her, forcing her to close her eyes and tilt her head away.

But the white light soon faded, the fear on Lilith's face only increased as she realised that Kim and Sam were still alive. Unstably, but alive. Both standing and panting, the pressure finally lifting from their chest. Kim looked down on herself. The light had done nothing and the pressure was lifted off Sam.

Kim and Sam looked to each other for a second, the confusion turned to anger in a second as they faced Lilith and took a step towards her.

"Back," Lilith trembled, holding her hand out in defence. Sam just took a deep breath and took another step. "I said, back," Lilith quivered. Sam, with a determined look, bent down and picked up the Knife of Kurds lying on the floor. Kim looked at her hands, unsure of how she escaped Lilith's force before Sam. Lilith looked at Kim, then Sam, viably frightened, her eye widening.

"I don't think so," Sam spat as he held the knife up to stab Lilith, but a loud scream sounded through the room, and smoke escaped the vessels mouth and into the air vent above.

Lilith was gone, sent away by fear; not only fear of Sam but fear of Kim.

After Lilith exited, Sam rushed over Dean, his lifeless body collapsed on the floor, his Crimson blood surrounded his course. Concave wounds tore his flesh as Sam bent down to cradle his brother, the bother who sacrificed himself for him.

Dean's eyes lay open, his once vibrant green eyes slowly turned to a shaded, cloudy green; lifeless. His muscles were motionless, his lips were still and no matter how much his sneaky smirk annoyed Kim, she wished it would appear soon; it never did.

Sam sobbed, tears staining her cheeks, his eyes red and puffy as he held his brother in his arms. There was nothing he could do now, it was too late.

Dean was dead.

The midnight air seemed cooling and the moonlight shone through the goofer dust listed window, all the little things Kim had learnt to appreciate. But she took no notice in the things she had as she stared at Dean, not a tear wet her cheeks. Not one drop of water fell from her eyes, down her cheek and dropped off her chin. Her eyes were dry, unable to bring herself to weep. Her lips drew a line, her heart feeling as if it was about to implode, she let out an involuntary whimper, but not one tear.

"No... no... Dean..." Sam cried for his brother. As he cries and mourns his brother, "Dean..."

Kim bent down next to Sam, taking in the image of Dean from up close. With a shaky sighed, Kim slipped off the silver ring from Dean's finger and placed it on the same necklace as Jo's ring, holding it close to her heart. With a hard swallow, she pushed herself back up and sucked in a breath as she stared down at Dean for the last time.

"Let's go, Sam." She placed a firm and comforting hand on Sam's shoulder, unaware that it was similar to how Dean had. Sam stood put as Kim's had slipped from his shoulder, tears still pouring down his cheeks. Without looking away from his brother, he sobbed.

"You said he was gonna be fine," Sam whispered, his voice a tone of heartbroken. Kim swallowed a lump as she looked up at Sam and then down at Dean. Nothing but the look on Sam's face could make her feel so useless.

 _There'll be peace when you are done,_


	37. Chapter Thirty-Five

Kim laid in the back of her family Jeep, her eyes open as she stared at the ceiling of the car, just as she did as a kid. Her hands were folded together and placed on her lap and she stared ahead, blankness filling her mind. Moving her neck slightly, she heard a crack and felt a slight sting. Her muscles and bones were aching from the uncomfortable position she had been stuck in for hours, but she was used to it.

Moving her eyes down the frame of the car, she saw the slither of dim light shine through the misty window. It must be the early morning and Kim had been up all night, again. Ever since Dean's death, she had trouble sleeping - just as she had after Ash's death. And when she was forced into sleep by exhaustion, she would be riddled with nightmares that stirred her awake in an hours or so. She hadn't eaten anything significant in days and her body was getting heavier to move with each second.

Kim was finding even the little things difficult, but she mustered on, like always.

After her dad was sent to Hell, the only thing Kim did for ages was research. Research ways to get him out of Hell, save him. Somehow, someway, seven-year-old Kim pushed herself to the limit and failed. She had not found a way, and she knew she would never. And although that doubt still lingered in her mind, she was too stubborn to listen to the facts; so she researched.

Kim sighed as she sat up in her car, rubbing the back of her neck. Looking around, adjusted the thin clothing she had on to cover her more, the cold morning air of the country outside her car seeping in. With a numb hand, she wiped off some frost from inside the car window and took a peep outside.

The sun was just peeking over the horizon, setting a dim shade of yellow over everything. The sky was slowly turning pink and the clouds were softly drifting from one side of the sky to the other. Although the countryside looked pastel and welcoming, it was littered with the morning cold, so she kept herself in the car and waited for the window to defrost from the outside.

Kim rubbed her heavy eyes, crawling into the front driver's seat of the Jeep, letting the many books she had laying over her lap fall to the floor. They were so used, Kim had already read them when she was younger.

Not much time had passed since Dean's death. It had been a little over a week and Kim was not adjusting.

Kim had experienced a lot of death for a person her age, so the pain was something she had experienced multiple timed before. But no matter how many times Kim felt the same agonising pain over and over again, she never got used to it, and it never got easier. It was just as difficult and traumatising as the first time.

With so much experience with death, she knew that the pain never faded. It was always there and always would be there, but it eventually got easier to carry, but Kim was already carrying so much pain from so many deaths.

It was less than a week after Dean's death that Sam decided to leave. So in the middle of the night, while Kim was thrashing in her sleep, Sam packed everything he owned and left. Barely an hour later, Kim woke up sweating and panting to an empty motel room.

No note. No warning. Nothing. He just left; taking the Knife of Kurds Kim fought so hard for with him.

Kim was beyond furious.

She had spent that whole day tracking him down. She hacked into websites and called some companies. Using the skills Ash taught her, she managed to hack into the tracker on his phone and turned it on. She had located him in a motel room not far from her.

After locating Sam, she threw out her old phone and get a new one with the same number, just in case there was a tracker in hers.

She then hitchhiked her way to Bobby's to get her car, but when she arrived, he wasn't there and she wasn't prepared to wait around until he returned. So she shuffled through the collection of car keys Bobby had lying around until she found hers. Smirking, she rubbed her eyes and collected her car, driving away.

Just as she did when she ran away from Ellen and Jo, she planned to go off the map. As long as she had an eye on Sam, she would be fine. So she changed credit cards, used names she had never used before, moved in different patterns that she normally wouldn't, making sure it wasn't too obvious.

She had always been good at lying low, so much so that it was nearly impossible to find her.

So, a week and a bit after Dean's death, she sat in the front of her Jeep as she drove down America's countryside, hoping to find a small cafe nearby where she can have breakfast and research.

After a healthy drive, she found a cafe that was open in the early hours of the morning. It had no customer in it, but the welcome sign was beaming. So she parked her car in the empty car park and hopped into the chilling countryside. She rushed for the cafe door, opening it and stepping in and instantly, her finger and nose began to defrost.

The door open and closed with a small chime of the bell above the door, informing the employers that someone was entering. She rubbed her hands together and wiped her cold nose as she walked into the warm cafe.

"What is someone doing up this early?" an old lady chuckled as she exited the kitchen, wiping her hands on a small apron she wore. Kim's head was down as she answered.

"What's a cafe doing open this early?" Kim repeated, taking a seat at the bar the lady stood behind. She smiled sweetly at Kim.

"Early bird gets the worm," she told, pointing her finger about as she smiled. Kim nodded once, still looking down.

"Does that make me the worm?" Kim huffed a polite laugh as the lady thought about it for a second.

"Why, yes," she smiled taking out a notepad. "What can I get you, love?" Kim looked up at her and rubbed her eyes tiredly. Kim fixed her eyes on the elderly woman and instantly felt a homely aura radiate off her. It was simply comforting to be under her gaze. Kim fixed herself slightly and mumbled some words.

"Uh, I'll have the largest serving of coffee you have, please," Kim sighed as the lady looked at her, astonished.

"My God, love. It looks like you haven't slept in days," she muttered as she went off to get Kim her coffee. Kim nodded and before placing her head down again, she could practically feel the dark bag under her eyes.

"If you only knew," Kim murmured to herself. Moment's later the lady returned with a rather large mug of coffee.

"On the house," the lady smiled as she watched Kim sniff the coffee and take a sip. Kim slurped her first sip and sighed satisfied. Kim looked down at the dark coffee swirled in the mug, the aroma filling her nostrils. Kim traced her eyes from the coffee to the old lady in front of her, who hadn't moved since she gave Kim her coffee. Kim shuffled once, turning to see the cafe was empty and the lady had nothing to do.

"Oh, sorry Hun," the lady smiled sweetly. Kim squinted at her suspiciously before taking another sip, "but it looks like you have an interesting story," the lady finished, making herself comfortable in front of Kim.

"Do I?" Kim asked lightly.

"Yeah," the lady nodded. The two of them stayed silent for a moment as Kim slurped her coffee, "I mean if you don't mind me asking." Kim sighed, she had once thought that the lady was too polite, but that's what little old ladies do.

"Christo," Kim whispered but there was no reaction. The lady gave her a weird look but Kim just smiled once. The cafe filled with silence as the lady waited. She didn't mind the silence, obviously.

"Story, right," Kim nodded, looking around and filling her mouth with coffee, "I'm an insomniac."

"Oh, my grandson has that. But it's not severe, thank God," she smiled, making a small sign of the cross. Kim nodded as she watched her.

"Yeah, so I'm awake early and fall asleep late, if at all," Kim explained as the lady sighed in sympathy.

"You poor girl, you seem so young," the lady put a reassuring hand on Kim's as she rested it on the coffee mug. "I mean, you can't be older than..." she thought for a second, a cocky smile on her face, "twenty."

Kim squinted at the lady, the cocky smile that graced her lips as she guessed her age correctly seemed oddly familiar. She looked at her suspiciously. She could have sworn she had heard those exact words before. Kim moved her posture upright, holding her shoulder straight as she thought.

The lady's smirk only grew as a flicker settled over the lights. Kim sprung off her chair as she watched the lights flicker, grabbing the iron knife she carried around everywhere. Holding it up, her expression stern, she turned from the lights to the lady, and watched as with a click of her fingers, her body morphed into an entirely new person.

A new face emerged from behind the flicker of the lights, with the same smile that seemed to haunt her and she knew exactly who it was.

"Trickster," Kim spat as the whisky eyed man that stood before her, tensing as she recognised him. A power surged from him as he moved to his natural position, for he had no fear in her presence which would strike fear in any hunter and it became instant knowledge to her that she had nothing to protect herself with. The Impala had most of the intricate weapons, that was gone.

"What do you want?" Kim asked loudly. The lights had stopped flickering and the Trickster had moved to lean against the bar, arrogantly leaning closer to Kim.

"You know, just want a chat with my old buddy," the Trickster smirked, hopping up and swinging his legs around the counter and landing beside Kim. She didn't move as he took a wrapped candy out of his pocket and popped it in his mouth.

"We have nothing to talk about," Kim said defensively, but the Trickster smirked egotistically.

"Oh, sure we do!" he cheered, shrugging his shoulder, "We're more in common than you think," he snickered as Kim furrowed her eyebrows, but before she could ask any questions, he wiggled his fingers.

She felt her body lift from the seat she was in, and in an instant, she was transported into a completely different setting. Her body tensed as she landed in the unfamiliar surrounding. The land was dark and she was no longer in the middle of the country. She stood at the edge of a deserted highway, the road at her toes. The moon was high in the sky, supplying Kim with a small amount of light. It was difficult to see, especially with a midnight fog rolling in from the forest behind her.

It was silent except for the wind that brushed leaves of the trees. It howled softly as surrounded her. Kim shivered as she reached for her knife, but it was no longer in her waistband. Her phone was no longer in her pocket either.

She looked down the highway, each end of the road disappearing into the horizon as if it would never end. Her teeth chattered in the cold air.

"Trickster!" Kim called into the emptiness, a cloud erupting from her lips as she spoke but the only response she received was an echo. "If your plan is to kill me, I can tell you now, another way would be a hell of a lot faster!" she screamed into the abyss.

In an instant, Kim became aware of her situation and growled lowly, not even sure if she had the willpower to get herself out if there and she was more willing to sit down and let nature take its course then she was to keep walking down the endless highway into an inevitable trap.

She thought for a second, her war tongue rolled over her lips. She felt the cracked skin on her lips before feeling the instant cold reverse back o her lips the second her tongue was back in her mouth. She then thought about her knife, and how it felt to have something of her fathers so close to her after such a long time and she was suddenly left with no choice.

Groaning, she pulled the thin material she wore over herself and started walking down one end of the highway, either option was as good as the other and she decided that she would walk until she reached some form of civilisation.

She walked. She walked for an endless amount of hours. She walked until her feet turned bare and her whole body was aching but it was as if she hadn't taken a step. The highway still reached the horizon at each end and there were no buildings in sight. The light from the moon had become obnoxious as the day was still to come, although it felt like it should have come hours ago.

As Kim looked up into the sky she realised that the moon was still straight above her head as it was all those hours ago. It hadn't moved an inch and neither had time; nor had the trees she had been continuously passing as if she was walking in a circle.

She stopped, not daring to take another meaningless step and groaned. She growled deeply from her core and listened to it echo as she screamed. A screech of crows erupted from the forest behind her as she massaged her poor feet, that were blistered and worn from the walking she had done. She turned to the noise and watched as the birds flew from the tops of the trees.

She took a step towards the forest in hopes it would get her somewhere and she watched for the first time in hours as the world moved around her when she walked.

A smile appeared on her lips as she moved away from the road and towards the forest, her walk turning into a run. She felt the wind push against her as she ran, feeling the breeze blow through her hair but as her foot entered the forest, she found herself standing at the edge of the road once again.

She breathed heavily from the running as she stood, shocked at the edge of the road. She looked around her frantically to see she was in the same place she was, not a foot out of line, not a toe out of place.

She screamed. She screamed until her throat started to bleed and her voice cracked. Her face turned red and her knuckles white as she fell to her knees. Anger boiled inside of her, making her hot and sweaty. Her heart was racing so fast and her feet became restless, but a rustle from behind her caught her attention.

Within a second, she twirled to the left, feeling the air of the passing creature gush against her as it ran past her. She had moved out of the way just in time. Kim's eyes adjusted to the dark to see a man, hunched with rugged fur and sharp teeth emerging from his mouth, dripping saliva that illuminating in the moonlight. His eyes glowed in the abyss of the dark, the cloud of mist swirled at his feet. His eyes stared at Kim, claws extended and teeth bear. Kim instinctively reached for her knife but remembered it was missing as she grabbed at the air behind your back.

"Shit," she whispered under her breath as the werewolf launched at her but her reaction was too slow. The werewolf clawed her side as she moved and she felt its claws rip through her flesh. Blood poured down her said as she turned to the werewolf, a slight form of terror in her eyes. She had no idea what to do, the Trickster had taken all of her weapons. She couldn't outrun the creature and she couldn't hide from it in the forest. She was utterly helpless as she stared into the glowing eyes of the werewolf. She held onto her side, feeling the blood pour from her wounds and it became incredibly easy to accept her consequence.

The werewolf launched again, but she was quicker this time, grabbing a large branch she found on the floor. Her bloody hands wrapped the branch and she swung it at the werewolf, sending him tumbling down. Kim smirked as he whimpered, preparing her branch again as he charged at her. The werewolf captured the branch in his jaws and broke it in half, but before he could do anything else, Kim sent the end of the branch through the creature, ripping through its flesh. She watched as he transformed back into his human form, his teeth and claws retracting back as he became limp. Kim wasn't sure if he was dead, she had never heard of a werewolf die from another weapon other than silver, so she skewered the branch into the ground, pinning the werewolf to the ground.

Wiping the blood in her hand off on her shirt, she placed pressure to her wound as she walked away from the werewolf, exhausted and bleeding.

"It would b easier for the both of us if you just killed me yourself!" Kim shouted into the sky, hearing the echo of her words sound through the highway.

She sighed, rubbing her head as she walked. An urge told her to look behind her after she walked a few hundred meters away from the werewolf, but when she looked over her shoulder she saw the skewered were vanish in a haze of static. She licked her teeth unsure of any way she would be able to get out of that place.

She walked through the silence, her hand pressed to her wound but blood continued to spill between her fingers. The cold air of the night gave her shivers, the breeze causing her damp fingers to go numb. The moon was still above her head and she had no way out.

As she walked her meaningless steps, she saw a car's headlights head towards her. It was the first thing out of place she had seen in this place. She smiled in relief as the car pulled up beside her, a young girl hopping out. She was slightly taller than Kim and looked a little bit older than her and of Indonesian descent. She hopped out of the car and ran to Kim, a sense of concern in her eyes that she hadn't seen in a long time.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" she asked quickly, her tone filled with worry. Kim huffed as she pressed her hand harder to her wound.

"Just dandy," she replied as she panted. The lady wrapped her arm around Kim and helped her to the car where she leaned on the closed door while the girl went and got a first aid kit from the trunk.

"It's going to be okay, I'm here and I won't let anything happen to you," the girl said as she pulled out some whisky from the kit and poured it on the wound. Kim hissed in pain before laughing.

"You just met me," she huffed with a smirk. This girls presence seemed to calm her as she felt her clean her wounds. "Can I have some of that?" Kim asked. The girl looked form the bottle to Kim.

"Not before I have some first," she said, taking a sip before handing the bottle to Kim, who took a quick swig.

"What's your name anyway?" Kim asked.

"Sri," she replied with a smile.

"Kim," Kim responded, nodding.

"That's a nice name," Sri complimented. Kim smirked slightly and nodded her head.

"Thanks," she replied. Kim watched as Sri bandaged her wounds and took care of the mess. Kim poked her wound, feeling the slush of her insides. "Well, thanks for the help," Kim said, about to walk away.

"You, my friend, are one brave chicken if you're fine with walking all that way in the dark all alone," Sri smiled playfully. "How about I give you a ride to the nearest bar and I buy you a drink? With a wound like that, a couple of vodka shots wouldn't go astray."

Kim thought about the offer and if it was wise to get into a car with a complete stranger or if it was wiser to walk down the path the had led her nowhere for the past hours, where creatures lurked in the shadows, ready to attack. Kim inspected Sri for a moment. She looked harmless, to a degree. She looked down the road into the oblivion, feeling a shiver creep over her, but when her eyes travelled back to Sri, it all disappeared and before Kim would think rationally, she was in the front seat of her car.

In the car, time seemed to move and in a matter of minutes, the two of them were in a town filled with life for such an odd hour of the night but Kim didn't think twice as they went into the bar and sat down at the stools.

"So, what's your poison?" Sri asked but Kim shrugged.

"Anything strong," she sniggered. Sri laughed and nodded her head, ordering a few shots between them.

"I like your style," she complimented. "So, what's your story?" she asked. There was a moment of silence before Kim shrugged.

"It's a long story," Kim replied, downing a shot. Sri did the same.

"We got time," she shrugged.

"I don't know man, it's just-" she took a breath as she looked up at Sri, who looked like she genuinely wanted to listen to her. Kim felt something rise in her, a vulnerability she had never felt before. The comfort of this strangers eyes conjured her to feel safe, like no matter what she said, she would be okay. She had felt a craving to release whatever heaviness was inside her. She was so heavy and she was growing weak, and she looked into Sri's eyes she felt a little lighter. "I'm useless. I'm fucking useless and worthless and no matter what I do, I always fuck up and let down the people I love. They all leave me, all of them. No matter what I do and I've tried so hard. I really did." Kim's eyes started to water, but a choked laugh escaped her throat as she looked down at the bar. "My mom's dead. So are my dad and my big sister. When I was alone, a man came and helped me out, he died too. My brother died after that, and just recently, my best friend died and the other left me alone in a motel room." Kim scoffed a pathetic laugh. "The only ones that haven't left me are my other family, Ellen and Jo."

Kim hadn't realised that the whole bar had fallen silent.

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"So, these two people you left, they mean a lot to you, don't they?" she asked. Kim sniffled back before nodding her head, feeling her cheeks, surprised to see that they were still dry.

"More than anything."

Sri smiled evilly.

"Kill them," she instructed. Kim's head snapped in her direction, an expression of utter disgust across her face.

"What?" It was at this moment that Kim realised that the bar was empty and completely silent, not a sound to be heard. She looked around and watched as the bar faded into the Roadhouse, just how she remembered it. She stood quickly, her feet shaking as she took a step further into the room. Everything was how it was. It even smelled the same. Kim ran her fingers over the bar one last time before turning to a noise behind her.

In the middle of the room stood Jo. Kim hadn't seen her in a while. It brought a smile to her lips to see her, but as she felt an object appear in her hand, her smile disappeared. She lifted her hand to see her iron knife firmly in her grasp.

"Kill her," a voice repeated. It was intoxicating, the voice. Kim could listen to it all day. It repeated in her head and Kim's eyes landed on Sri in the back corner behind Jo. Her face was so sweet and her eyes were too irresistible to look away from as she mimed the words that repeated on Kim's head.

"I have to kill her," Kim obeyed, nodding as she stepped towards Jo. Kim twirled the knife between her fingers as a smirk lingered on her lips. It was so easy to move with Sri's words, like drifting along a stream.

Kim slashed down and she watched as her knife glided across the cheek of Jo, who cowered away from Kim's presence. It was nice to see Jo wither under Kim's power, but it felt wrong. It was wrong.

Kim looked down at the knife in her hands and watched the blood drip from the tip of the blade to the ground. In shock and disgust, Kim threw the knife out of her hands as her eyes travelled up towards Sri, a wicked smirk on her lips.

"You're a siren," Kim whispered, feeling herself move forward and towards Jo, striking her cowering form to the ground. Kim watched from behind her eyes as she bashed Jo's temple towards the ground. Blood poured from her head and pooled on the floor, her eye black with bruises. Kim watched with horror, unable to stop herself, unable to even look away. She had tried, she had pulled and forced herself to move away from Jo, but with each punch, the urge grew stronger and it was impossible to break.

"No," Kim screamed, pulling herself away with all her might, but it was as if she had attempted nothing. "No!" Kim threw herself off of Jo, a white light erupting from her palms and Kim was able to punch herself off of Jo, who laid there helplessly. Kim shook her head in clarity, looking up to see the true form of the siren approach her. Kim stood to her feet and threw her hand out in anger. She felt a heat rise from her palms and a light erupted from her. Kim crunched her fist into a ball and watched the siren stop where it was, its form collapsing in on itself until it was a pile of blood and bones on the floor.

Kim let go of a breath she was holding in, feeling her knees turn weak. She was exhausted, panting, barely able to lift her head to check on Jo. As Kim took a step towards Jo's limp form, she watched as the room turn to static, and before she knew it, she was back in the diner, sitting on the same stool she was before.

Turning around confused, she saw the Trickster standing behind her, this time with a lollipop in his mouth. Popping it out of his mouth, he plonked himself in a seat behind him and smiled up at her.

"Wow, sweetheart, dry cheeks. You really are heartless," the Trickster smirked, his eyes shining a hazel brown. It had seemed that no time had passed although it felt like she was trapped n that place for days. Kim felt her cheeks before tearing her hand off her face and straightening her stance, standing up to overpower him.

"Is Jo okay?" Kim asked instantly, but the Trickster just rolled his eyes.

"That's the first thing you wanna ask?" he sassed.

"Is. She. Okay?" Kim repeated lowly, waiting for an answer.

"She's fine," the Trickster waved off, uninterested. Kim sighed in relief, nodding.

"Why'd you do that?" Kim asked, "Why- Why did you send me there? How did I do that?" Kim breathed as the smirked found it's way back onto the Tricksters face. He hopped out of his chair and pointed to her enthusiastically.

"That's the question I was waiting for," he smiled. "'How did I do that?' What a good question, huh?" Kim squinted her eyes at him as he dawdled around the answer.

"You know what's happening to me?" Kim asked urgently, but he didn't answer.

"It's funny, cause when you're life's in danger, you couldn't give less of a crap. But the second someone you love was in danger-"

"Do you know what's wrong with me or not?" Kim hissed, interrupting him. The Trickster stopped, his playful posture straightening at her words and his eyes darkening. He stopped and looked at her, furrowing his eyebrows.

"There's nothing wrong with you," the Trickster stated seriously, a tone of wisdom rose in his voice. "You are here for a reason," he informed as Kim squinted her eyebrows.

"What reason?" she asked hastily. The Trickster walked over to her and stood right in front of her, arm's length apart. His expression stayed stern as he looked deep into her eyes, but his lips spontaneously turned into his unique smirk as he wiggled his eyebrows. With a snap of his fingers, he was gone, leaving Kim in an empty cafe with a mug of cold coffee.


	38. Chapter Thirty-Six

Months had passed since Kim's experience with the Trickster and after that little experience they had, Kim was even more confused than she used to be. She felt more distant from humanity the longer she thought about what happened that day, and she was always thinking about it. It just added to the list of things Kim had to worry about, that was if she had time to worry about herself.

It had been four months since Dean's death and she had come to peace with his absence, accepting her inability to save him but the pain of him leaving only grew stronger and her ability to deal with that pain weakened. She drew to unhealthy coping mechanisms where she found herself basking in temporary distractions. Nights spent drowning in alcohol, alone in bars or in some strangers bed.

Her sleep schedule was non-existent except for a few hours here and there every night and she hadn't had a solid meal in a weak. She refused all phone calls and isolated herself from the world. She knew things were getting out of hand, but it was hard for her to care.

Before she came to accept her uselessness, Kim had done nothing but research on Hell and how she could somehow save Dean. She read every book she could imagine held any answer, read every website, asked professionals and she even went to the extent of believing she had the capability in herself and whatever abomination of a power she had to try and lift him, but she was fooling to think she was able to do anything. So she reverted to the bars and beds for comfort.

As she lost control over herself, she continued to follow Sam, checking on him every now and then just to make sure he hadn't gotten as bad as she had. She watched him travel to a few crossroads in an attempt to get Dean. Staying hidden, she watched as the demon rejected his soul for Dean's so she had no need to interfere.

She had been awake a lot lately and she easily became restless. Jogging became a regular experience now, as well as passing out straight after from exhaustion and malnourishment. She kept her mind busy by researching and going on hunts, making sure to avoid ones Sam was pursuing.

After the first month of being alone, she grew to know that some hunters were looking for her again. Ellen must have put them on her after she refused all her calls. She kept clear from them and changed any pattern she may have been following, making sure to make everything she was doing as random as possible. She only ever used cash and stayed in her car most of the time, rarely using motels. She switched what bars she was attending and changed her numberplate just to be safe.

She was completely off the map.

Kim was at a motel for the first time in a month. She decided to give her neck a break from the torture of her back seats. She made sure to go by an unused name and use cash, just in case some hunters were still trying to find her.

After a restless night of twisting and turning, she decided to roll out of bed at a somewhat reasonable hour. She moved from the bed to the wooden table, pulling out her laptop and started digging for something to hunt. The bright laptop screen blinded her as she opened it. She blinked a couple of time, rubbing her sore eyes as she stared at the screen. Taping away at the keyboard, she heard a buzzing of her phone. Reaching for it, she saw that It was Bobby. She instantly declined and considered changing her number.

Bobby had called a few times since she was absent, he must have found out by Ellen's paranoia. She sighed and got up and made herself a cup of coffee for breakfast, the same thing she had yesterday and that day before that. It seemed to be the only thing she was consuming lately, but that was the least of her problems.

As Kim sat back down she received another phone call from Bobby. She rolled her eyes and refused, she knew that if she answered he could track her phone. Declining, she slid the phone to the other end of the table. Looking back at her laptop, she planned to ignore the buzzing, but it was constant. He just kept ringing and ringing.

After a while, it became hard to ignore and checked what was happening, just in case it was important. As she grabbed the phone from the other end of the table, the last phone call had ended.

31 missed calls from 'Bobby'

Kim furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. Sighing, she felt her phone vibrate in her hand. Hesitantly, she answered the phone and held it to her ear.

"What is it, Bobby?" Kim answered testily. She heard Bobby gruff from the other line.

"Kim, nice to hear from you for the first time in-"

"Yeah, I get it. What do you need?" she asked, unimpressed.

"You gotta meet us, okay? I'll text you the address," Bobby huffed, about to hang up.

"Us?" Kim questioned.

"Me and Sam," Bobby replied as if it was obvious. Kim groaned at the name.

"What makes you think I'm willing to see him," Kim hissed plainly.

"What?" Bobby asked, slightly confused.

"Of course he didn't tell you," Kim huffed. "He up and left in the middle of the night three and a half months ago, the asshole," Kim spat.

"You left her!" an angry voice growled, noticeably further away from the phone.

"Kim-" Bobby started.

"Stole my knife, too," Kim scowled.

"I needed it for Lilith!" a voice in the distance shouted.

"I know he's an idjit but you gotta meet us," Bobby argued as Kim huffed questionably. There was a silence between Kim and Bobby as she through about an answer. As she thought, she could hear small, angry bickering from the other line. "You owe me one, kid," Bobby reminded, using his I.O.U.

Kim groaned, "Shit." She was a woman of her word. "Fine, text me the address," Kim scoffed and hung up the phone.

With that, Kim hung up and gathered all her stuff. Just as she finished packing, a message was sent to her phone telling her the place, motel number and time to meet. The location was a motel about three hours drive but they only gave her two hours to get there. She'd make it.

•※•

Kim parked in the motel parking lot and sat in her car, wondering if she should get out. She sighed tiredly, hopped out of the car and grabbed her bags. She made her way to the front of the motel before she could change her mind. She just wanted to get this over with and walk out with her knife in her hands. She was doing so well under the radar, but she always kept her word, even if it meant driving for two hours straight to see someone she dreaded.

Marching through the motel, she reached the end of the hallway and stood in front of the room Bobby told her to meet them at. She stood outside for a second and took a deep breath. It wasn't too late to turn back.

"I can't believe you did that, Sam," a voice said from behind the door. "I told you to take care of her."

"She's a big girl, she can take care of herself," a voice replied.

"That's not the point, Sam!"

"You boys better be thankful she owed me, otherwise we'd never find her!" Bobby's voice yelled loud and clear. "She is one tough kid to find," he scoffed.

"Ellen still have those hunters after her?" a voice asked, it was most likely Sam, but she couldn't make out the other.

"Yeah, they're useless," another voice scoffed. Kim furrowed her eyebrows and knocked on the door, the room fell into silence.

Kim stood awkwardly outside the door for a few seconds before it opened slowly. She watched as it creaked open, revealing Bobby and Sam standing near the bed. Slowly, she turned her head to look who was opening the door, unsure of who it was if Sam and Bobby were on the other side of the room.

Kim stepped into the room, her head looked to the figure to her left. Her eyes fixed on his face and took in his sneaky smirk, one she was hoping to see four months ago. Without a second thought, Kim lunged and pinned Dean to the wall, taking her iron knife and holding it against his throat. Kim's expression was fierce and covered in disbelief.

Dean choaked slightly with the pressure Kim was holding against Dean's neck. She was forced to look into his eyes, his bright green eyes. Everything she saw when he was alive was there, and it frightened her. Dean could feel her shaking as she pressed against him, but he saw no fear in her eyes. He smiled slightly, putting his hands up in surrender.

"Hey Kim," Dean smirked softly as he looked into her eye. He was so happy to see her again, it brought an immobile smile to his face. As Kim applied more pressure to Dean's neck she heard a rush of panic from behind her.

"It's him! I swear it's him!" Sam yelled from behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder. Instantly, she shrugged him off of her, looking over her shoulder to Bobby.

"I did all the tests," Bobby nodded, allowing Kim to slowly move her hand away from Dean's neck. Dean continued to smile at her as she stared hopefully into his eyes, her expression lingered with sadness. A small smile appeared on her lips and Dean took his chance to engulf her in a hug. She curled up into his arms and turned her head into the crook of his neck.

His embrace was warm and comforting and she felt as if she could sleep right there in his arms. He smelt like musk and woods, the stubble on his neck and chin scratched her cheek. She wrapped her arms under his arms and around his torso while he kept her close to his chest. The hug was tight and everlasting, neither of them wanted to let go.

"You're one tough girl to find, you know that?" Dean scoffed, patting Kim on the shoulder. He was obviously trying to avoid questions, "I mean, we called Jo and she told us to give up," Dean laughed slightly.

"I'm so happy you're back. I can't believe you're here. How did you get out?" Kim asked looking up at him, ignoring his last comment. Dean's once smirking expression turned deadly still. He looked at Sam and Bobby before turning back to Kim with a confused, angry look.

"You didn't do this?" Dean barked as Kim shook her head, "No deals, no black magic, nothing?" Dean asked, unconvinced.

"No, I looked. Trust me, I did, but I didn't find anything powerful enough to pull you outta Hell and even if I did, I wouldn't have been able to find it let alone use it accurately," Kim sighed, feeling more like a failure as she continued. "And after Sam's failed attempt at selling his soul, I didn't even bother trying."

"You knew I tried to sell my soul?" Sam asked shocked. Kim didn't look at him to respond, her voice losing all the emotion it had and turned into a low growl.

"I was gonna jump in if it got outta hand," Kim admitted as Sam sent her a weird look, nothing was making sense. "Dean told me to look out for you and as you may or may not know, but I keep my word. So I tracked your phone," Kim shrugged, causing a small smile to appear on Dean's lips.

"You tracked me? I disabled my tracker," Sam argued.

"And I enabled it," she shrugged again. Kim made a visible movement against him, turning away from him, "What? You had my knife, I wasn't just gonna let you go roaming around with it."

"How long?" he asked curiously.

"The day you left was the day I started tracking you." Sam was about to react when Kim continued, "So if neither of us did anything, what did?"

"That's what we're going to find out," Dean nodded, moving away from Kim and standing next to Bobby and Sam.

"We're going to see Pamela," Bobby informed. Kim nodded, remembering her time at Pamala's.

"Great, we going now?" Kim asked as she picked up her bag that she dropped at the front door. Bobby nodded and made his way towards the door.

Kim had not looked at Sam once since she entered the room, and the tension was becoming obvious. The four of them stood in silence as they shuffled on their feet. No one knew what to do next, but Kim knew that Sam was about to talk.

"Kim-"

"I think you have something of mine," Kim interrupted as she stepped forward and opened her hand out for him to hand her the knife. Sam stood silently for a moment in hesitance. "This is the moment you give it back to me before things get much worse. Just return what you stole and we should be good, got it?" she asked impatiently, her hand still out for him to place the knife. Sam looked at her with discomfort, but she held her eyes strong. Swallowing a lump in his throat, he reached for the knife tucked in his bag and handed it to her. Kim smiled cockily as she held it firmly before shoving it into her waistband. "Great, let's go."

Kim picked up her bags and headed towards the door, impatiently held open by Bobby. She nodded once to him before exiting with everything she owned.

"Remind me not to piss off Kim," a gruff voice said from behind. A small smile graced her lips as she walked to her car and chucked everything in. Climbing into her Jeep, she stuck her head out of the window.

"I'll follow," Kim shouted to them before she tucked her head back into the car.

•※•

Kim followed Dean, no one but herself in her Jeep, her long-lost knife riding shotgun, along with her duffel bag of weapons. Throughout the ride, Kim had some time to think. Kim was overjoyed that Dean was back, but so many unusual things were happening to her at the moment and she was trying her best to contain them all.

Some new, extremely powerful and potentially dangerous creature or force dragged Dean out of Hell, giving him a newly refurbished body. His body was a pile of flesh and blood by the time the Hellhounds were done with it, but he was unscared when Kim laid eyes on him.

Kim followed Dean mindlessly down the road she had driven before and stopped by a familiar house.

She hopped out of her car with her bag slung over her shoulder, waiting for everyone in the Impala to get out. With a nod, Bobby and Dean lead the way to the house, leaving Sam and Kim behind. As they walked in awkward silence, Sam turned to her.

"Kim, I'm sorry," he sighed, "I know it's no excuse but, I panicked," Sam breathed, hoping Kim would respond nicely. Kim sighed and looked up at him.

"Sam, it's fine," Kim said simply, although she had so much to say. "Just, don't steal it next time."

"You seem more upset that I stole the knife than me leaving," he scoffed in confusion. His statement was true.

"I'm good solo," Kim shrugged excusing him, not explaining the significance the knife had to her. Kim was upset that he left, but it wasn't a totally new experience before. She had been solo before, she knew how to survive.

They knock on the door and Pamela opened it soon after, a ready smile took over her face. "Bobby!" she smiled as she pulled him into a hug, lifting him barely off the ground. Releasing him, she turned to Kim, "Nice to see you again, Kim," Pamela smiled as she patted Kim's back friendly, "you're a sight for sore eyes," she said, looking back to Bobby. She looked at Sam and Dean. "So, these the boys?"

"Sam, Dean. This is Pamela Barnes, best damn psychic in the state," Bobby introduced.

"Hey," Dean smiled.

"Hi," Sam muttered, a little awkwardly.

"Mmm-mmm-mmm. Dean Winchester. Out of the fire and back in the frying pan, huh? Makes you a rare individual," she sauntered.

"If you say so," he smirked.

"Come on in." She moved out of the way for the four of them to enter, ushering them in.

"So, you hear anything?" Bobby asked as he looked around, the same mumbo-jumbo instruments were settled around the room.

"Well, I Ouija'd my way through a dozen spirits. No one seems to know who broke your boy out, or why," Pamela explained.

"Well that's a great sign," Kim sighed sarcastically. "What next?"

"A séance, I think. See if we can see who did the deed," Pamela explained.

"You're not gonna... summon the damn thing here," Bobby asked cautiously.

"No. I just want to get a sneak peek at it. Like a crystal ball without the crystal," she shrugged, still leading them through the house.

"I'm game," Dean nodded as they made their way into the séance room. Pamela quickly started setting up the table, covering it in a cloth and going around the room, gathering candles and crystal balls. Kim and Dean look at it warily, both not convinced.

Pamela squats to get something from the bottom cupboard. Her movements revealed a tramp-stamp on her lower back, reading: 'Jesse Forever'.

"Who's Jesse?" Dean asked, looking at her tattoo.

"Well, it wasn't forever," she laughed looking over her shoulder to Dean.

"His loss," Pamela stood and walked over to him, a several pillar candles in her hands and leaned closer to Dean.

"Might be your gain," she smirked as Kim huffed a laugh.

"Dude, I am so in," Dean whispered to Sam lowly.

"Yeah, she's gonna eat you alive," Sam replied with a smile.

"Hey, I just got out of jail. Bring it," Dean smirked. Pamela passed the three of them and winked at Sam.

"You're invited too, grumpy," she smirked, walking by. Dean instantly turned to Sam.

"You are not invited," Dean warned.

"You too, Kim," Pamela called as she set up the table. Kim laughed slightly and shook her head. Kim looked to Pamela who was setting up the table, drawing a symbol on the cloth, when she heard Sam slap Dean on the shoulder, followed by his 'humph'.

"Just an idea, jeez," Dean scoffed as he looked to his brother.

•※•

All five of them were sitting around the table. Candles were lit in the centre of the table sending an orange glow around the dark room. Pamela was sitting next to Dean, Kim next to him, Sam next to her, Bobby in the middle of Sam and Pamela. Shuffling a bit, Kim looked unconvincingly at the candles and symbol in front of her.

"Teach me your ways," Kim teased as everyone settled in the chairs, causing Pamela to roll her eyes.

"You'll be begging once I'm done. Take each other's hands," Pamela instructed. Dean held his large hand open and Kim awkwardly placed her small hand in his. He wrapped his fingers around her hand, swallowing it. Kim then moved her hand for Sam to hold. Sam looked at Kim before taking her small hand in his, placing them both in a comfortable position.

"And I need to touch something our mystery monster touched," Pamela slid her hand up Dean's inner thigh, causing him to jump.

"Whoa. Well, he didn't touch me there," Dean laughed slightly.

"My mistake," she smirked. Bobby, Sam and Kim rolled their eyes as Dean looked around nervously before lifting him the short sleeve of his top. Kim stared at his upper arm, a large red burn of a handprint blistered on Dean's skin.

"Okay," she said as she placed her hand over his burn.

All four of the closed their eyes after Pamela did, following her moves. Pamela began to chant.

"I invoke, conjure, and command you, appear unto me before this circle. I invoke, conjure, and command you, appear unto me before this circle. I invoke, conjure, and command you, appear unto me before this circle," Pamela repeated. Suddenly the TV turned on and began to static; she continued. "I invoke, conjure, and command... Castiel?" she asked, focused, "No. Sorry, Castiel, I don't scare easy."

Dean opened his eyes and looked around, everyone had their eyes open but Pamela.

"Castiel?" Dean asked confused.

"Its name. It's whispering to me, warning me to turn back," Pamela explained. A deafening white noise sounded as the static continued. The table began to shake, a powerful force was emerging. "I conjure and command you, show me your face. I conjure and command you, show me your face. I conjure and command you, show me your face. I conjure and command you, show me your face."

Things on shelves rattled and the table continued to shake. The white noise was numbing their ears. Everything was shaking more violently. "Maybe we should stop," Bobby suggested.

"I almost got it. I command you, show me your face!" she screamed, "Show me your face now!" Abruptly, the candles on the table flared up high in the air, the sudden heat spread across the room. The sound of a roaring fire sounded as painful screams of Pamela surrounded the room. Her eyes flew open and were filled with a white-hot flame. She collapsed. The rattling, the static, the white noise disappeared. Bobby caught her and quickly placed her on the ground.

"Call 911!" Bobby yelled as Sam scrambled for the phone as he rolled off his chair. Kim, Bobby and Dean crouched over Pamela. She was unconscious, bleeding from her burnt eyes.

Quickly, her eyelids flew open and she screamed in pain. "I can't see! I can't see! Oh god!" she sobbed. Kim looked form Pamela's helpless form to Dean, both sharing the same horrid expression.

•※•

Kim was alone as she walked down the street. She had just visited Pamela in the hospital. Most of her time there she just sat in her chair next to Bobby and did some research with him. they searched up Castiel but the hadn't found much, not that she had much time to do intricate research. She left once they announced that she was stable, soon to be out of I.C.U. She was walking down a street towards a small cafe at the corner where she was meeting Sam and Dean.

Just as she was about to enter the cafe when Sam and Dean came marching out. Kim furrowed her eyebrows as Dean grabbed her arm and swung her around, facing them all in the same direction.

"You said to meet for pie," Kim sighed, knowing she wasn't going to get any food. For the first time in a while, Kim had finally got her appetite back, but there was no time to eat. She sighed as they dragged her away from the cafe.

"Three demons," Dean announced softly, "There were three demons in there. None of them have any idea what dragged me out of Hell and are just as scared; maybe even more."

"We're not gonna leave them there, are we?" Sam asked, slightly baffled.

"Well yeah, there's three of them, probably more, and we've only got one knife between us," Dean announced as he pointed to the knife tucked in Kim's waistband.

"I've been killing a lot more demons than that lately," Sam continued, hoping to convince him.

"Not anymore – the smarter brother's back in town," Dean smirked as she pointed to himself. Kim huffed a single laugh.

"Dean, we've got to take 'em. They are dangerous," Sam insisted.

"They're scared. Okay? Scared of whatever had the juice to yank me out. We're dealing with a bad mofo here. One job at a time," Dean said instructively, looking from Sam to Kim.

•※•

The three of them were in a motel room and Dean had dazed off slightly, falling asleep on one of the beds, a mirror for a ceiling. Sam was just sitting on the couch and Kim sat with a plate of food beside her as she stared at her laptop. Although she was hungry and tired, she spent her time ignoring the food and the comfy bed behind her to research what the hell 'Castiel' was, but the creature seemed to be hidden away. No mythology circled around Castiel nor did any hunting websites provide any valid information.

She sighed, looking at the plate of food before picking up a fry and placing it in her mouth. She looked over at Sam, who wasn't doing anything. The TV was on but he seemed to be paying no attention to it.

Getting up, she carried the plate over to Sam and placed it on the coffee table in front of him. He looked to it before tracing his eyes up to Kim. He watched as she sat down next to him, the light from the TV casting shadows on her face. Although the room was dark, Sam noticed the dark bags under her eyes and the limpness of her body. Everything about her posture and how she acted suggested she was on the border of exhaustion.

"Why don't you get some sleep, Kim," Sam suggested, "You look like you need it," Kim nodded lightly before getting up and straightening her clothes.

"Only if you finish off the burger. I haven't seen you eat since I got back," Kim informed as she moved around the coffee table.

"I haven't seen you eat, either," Sam huffed a laugh.

"I had a fry," she shrugged, slipping into her pyjamas and sliding into bed. Sam nodded as she did so, the darkness of the room covered her as she changed.

As Kim's head hit the pillow, her eyes began to fall heavy and she closed them. Not long after, she heard a rustling of the motel door. Tilting her head slightly, the TV was turned off and she watched as Sam snuck out of the motel room, too hasty to wait for more than five minutes for Kim to fall asleep. Kim was going to go after him, but she found herself convincing herself that he was fine; so she drifted to sleep with her demon knife under her pillow.

The sound of a familiar static shook the room, it was coming from the once 'off' TV. Kim's heavy head reached up off the pillow, her hand tightly gripping the knife in her hand. The radio suddenly turned on, waking Dean who quickly grabbed his shotgun out from under his bed.

Dean looked over his shoulder to Kim, who was laying down in the next to his. Kim and Dean's eyes widened as the room started to shake more violently. A painfully high-pitched noise screeched from the heavens. A stammered voice emerged from the noise, it seemed to be speaking in a tongue Kim could not understand. It was hidden in the noise, she could vaguely hear a few words she could not understand. The noise was so loud and overbearing that it shattered the mirrored ceilings, causing Kim to forget about the faint voice she heard among the noise.

Shards of broken mirror rained down on Kim and Dean, the two of them moving to quickly shield their eyes. Kim felt pieces of glass stab into her skin as she rolled off the bed and onto the floor, her back facing the ongoing rain of mirror. Her hands moved form shielding her eyes to her ear, screaming to clock out the horrid noise.

The white noise continued as the door busted open and Bobby charged in.

"Dean! Kim!" he screamed, running over to gather Dean. Kim watched as Bobby huddled Dean out of the room. Dean also had his ears covered. Kim cringed in pain as she gathered herself up, bring herself to her feet and running after them. Bobby slammed the door shut after her.

•※•

They gathered themselves in Bobby car as he drove down the road. Dean took the passenger seat as Kim plucked out mirror shards from her knee in the back. Dean wiped some blood off his face as they took a breather, the noise still ringing in both of their heads.

"How you doin', kid?" Bobby asked Dean, looking over him once.

"Aside from the church bells ringing in my head, peachy," Dean muttered sarcastically.

"What about you, Kim," Bobby asked as he looked in the rearview mirror. Kim didn't answer straight away. She cringed in pain, wincing as she pulled out a shard of the mirror from her knee.

"No bad," she panted, looking up at him, blood still dripping from the cuts on her face. Kim looked down as she thought about the voice she heard through the noise, deciding to remain silent.

"So Sam just got up and left," Dean asked Kim and she nodded.

"Yeah, I told you," Dean sighed and pulled out his cell phone and dialled a very familiar number.

"What are you doing?" Dean asked Sam.

"Couldn't sleep, went to get a burger," Sam replied as Dean looked over at Kim, who couldn't hear Sam on the other line.

"In my car?"

"Force of habit, sorry. What are you doing up?" Sam replied.

"Well, uh, Bobby's back. We're going to grab a beer with Kim," Dean said, missing Bobby's shocked look. Dean held up a finger to quite him. Bobby was quite surprised at the white lie but made no comment.

"All right, well, uh, spill some for me, huh?" Sam said.

"Done. Catch you later," Deann hung up. Before Bobby could say anything, Dean looked to Kim in the mirror.

"You said you offered him that burger, right?"

"Yeah, placed it right in front of him," Kim nodded. Dean pursed his lips for a second.

"Why the hell didn't you tell him?" Bobby asked, breaking the silence.

"Because he'd just tried to stop us," Dean informed.

"From what? What the hell are we even doing?" Kim asked from the back, holding a cloth to her knee.

"Summoning this thing." Bobby looked astounded, "It's time we faced it head-on,"

"Head on! Dean, I'm all for head-on, but we don't even know if this thing has a head!" Kim argued softly.

"What are we gonna do, Kim? Wait for it to kill us?" Dean replied.

"You can't be serious!"

"As a heart attack. It's high noon, baby," Dean replied calmly. He seemed prepared for anything as if he had already faced the worst.

"Well, we don't know what it is. It could be a demon, it could be anything," Bobby replied.

"That's why we've got to be ready for anything," he points to Kim, "We've got the big-time magic knife, you've got an arsenal in the trunk and I'm sure Kim's brain is filled with symbols for everything," Dean replied, ready as ever.

"This is a bad idea," Bobby muttered.

"A bad idea is drinking until you can't feel your face. This- this is suicide," Kim sighed.

"Yeah, I couldn't agree more, but what other choice do we have?" Dean argued.

"We could choose life," Bobby sassed.

"Bobby, whatever this is, whatever it wants, it's after me. That much we know, right? I've got no place to hide. I can either get caught with my pants down again, or we can make our stand," Dean answered solemnly.

"Dean, we could use Sam on this," Bobby suggested.

"Nah, he's better off where he is," Dean replied. There was a silence as Kim sighed in the back.

"If I die because of this, I'm haunting your ass," Kim huffed, preparing herself for the worst. Whatever this Castiel thing was, it was the most omnipotent creature to face Earth; and they were going in head-on.

•※•

The warehouse was big, hopeful with enough meters of walls to withhold the number of symbols, talismans and traps needed to protect themselves. Kim shook the last of the spray cans and continued drawing as many symbols she could remember on the wall, wishing she had the rest of her book with her to help jog her memory.

Everything they know about this creature suggests that what they were doing was an extremely horrible idea, but along with the fact that Dean was too stubborn to back down, Kim also held an interest to discover whatever was speaking that obscure language.

Kim stood back to admire her work after covering the last empty space on the wall with the last symbol she could remember. Sighing, she chucked the empty spray can on the floor next to the others.

A single wooden table was in the room covered in open books that held information about symbols. Kim walked to the book, flicking through it to see if she had missed anything.

She hadn't.

Dean was at the table, setting up all different types of equipment, including the demons knife. "That's a hell of an art project you've got going there," Dean said to Kim as she shuffled through the book.

"Yup, it's one for the museum," Kim nodded, moving away from the book.

"Traps and talismans from every faith on the globe. How you doin'?" Bobby asked Dean.

"Stakes, iron, silver, salt, knife. I mean, we're pretty much set to catch and kill anything I've ever heard of," Dean said confidently.

"This is still a bad idea," Bobby sighed.

"Yeah, Bobby, I heard you the first ten times," Dean sighed as Kim looked around, making sure that everything was in place and correct. No lines or cracks in the pain or anything to break the symbol, "What do you say we ring the dinner bell?" Bobby nodded reluctantly.

All three of them moved over to the table as Bobby took a pinch of powder from a bowl and sprinkled it into a larger bowl. It instantly began to smoke and Bobby started chanting in Latin.

•※•

It had been a while since Bobby had finished the chant and nothing had happened. They sat down, Kim swinging her legs as they dangled off the edge of the table. She was beginning to believe that all the symbols were blocking it out. Everyone was bored, all expecting something extravagant to burst through the room the second they had finished the chant.

"You sure you did the ritual right?" Dean asked Bobby, who sent him a flat look. "Sorry. Touchy, touchy, huh?"

A loud rattling on the roof of the warehouse shook the room the second those words left Dean's lips. The noise was loud and consuming as they stared up at the roof. The three of them looked at each other, a shotgun held tightly in Kim's arms. "Wishful thinking, but maybe it's just the wind."

Suddenly, the locked warehouse door burst open with a violent rattle. All heads snapped towards the abrupt movement. The old lights that hung above their head began to burst, one by one, sparks of electricity showering down.

A figure of a man stood in the doorway, his shadow looming around the room dominantly. He walked in slowly, the rain of electricity showing that it was a young man with shaggy hair and a trenchcoat. The roof still rattled like thunder as he calmly made his way towards them.

Bobby and Dean open fire on him as he walked forward and Kim watched as it did nothing, he didn't even flinch. His straight expression fixed on Dean didn't falter as he walked. Dean, with his back to the table, slid the demon knife into his hand and held it behind his back as he approached. Kim stood next to Dean but he used his other hand to slightly push her behind him.

"Who are you?" Dean asked quickly, his eyes never leaving the creature.

"I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition," his low voice emitted slowly. His tone wad eep, his eyes hollow and he spoke with a husky croak.

"Yeah. Thanks for that," Dean snarled ungratefully. Dean reared back and plunged the demon knife into the man's chest. The man didn't flinch, nor did he fight back, his superiority showering over them.

Castiel looks down at the knife that stuck out of his chest, unconcerned, and pulled it out, dropping it to the floor. From behind, Bobby attacked; without bothering to turn his head, Castiel deflected Bobby's attack, grabbing the weapon he used and chucking it to the floor. Extremely calmly, he moved two fingers over Bobby's forehead and he crumbled to the floor.

Kim didn't say anything as she watched, she merely ran over to Bobby and check his pulse. He was breathing and Kim felt a wave of relief fall over her.

"He's alive," Kim whispered to herself, but loud enough for Dean to hear. Kim stood up, Castiel now in between Kim and Dean. He turned to Dean and looked knowingly into his eyes.

"We need to talk, Dean. Alone." And with that, the Castiel turned around as Kim stepped back slightly. With the same expression, he placed two fingers on Kim's forehead. Everything was turning black and she felt herself fall; the last thing she was the pure innocents of Castiel's expression.


	39. Chapter Thirty-Seven

It was silent as they sat at Bobby's house, the events of before still playing in their minds. Kim sat, slumped in a chair with books in her hands as she researched to try and discover whatever that was. Bobby was sitting at his desk with books piled in front off him that covered his head while Sam was sitting in the chair in the opposite corner as Dean stood.

The silence was pounding in their brains as the words of their pages seemed to mean nothing as they stared mindlessly at them. They had been researching for hours and nothing had appeared to them that fit the description and they were all slowly giving up.

"Well, then tell me what else it could be," Sam sighed rubbing his forehead. Sam had just discovered what they three of them had done and he wasn't too impressed that they summoned the creature, especially without him.

"Look, all I know is I was not groped by an angel," Dean argued, annoyed that no one was listening to him. Dean felt strongly that this Castiel creature wasn't an angel, while Kim felt the opposite. Kim's father had told her stories of angels when she was a child; later in life, telling her that all those stories were true. With the power Castiel showed, Kim firmly believed that Castiel could have been an angel. Whether that was a good thing was questionable.

Kim spun the pin on her shirt.

"Okay, look, Dean. Why do you think this Castiel would lie to you about it?" Sam asked. He was also convinced that after Dean and Kim's description that Castiel could be an angel.

"Maybe he's some kind of demon. Demons lie," Dean shrugged argumentatively.

"You stabbed it with the demon knife," Kim reminded.

"Along with being immune to salt and demon traps," Bobby said as he looked up from his books.

"Lilith is scared of this thing!" Sam convinced.

"Don't you think that if angels were real, that some hunter somewhere would have seen one... at some point... ever?" Dean asked, still unconvinced.

"They have," Kim said loudly. The boys stopped and looked at her as she looked at her books. The silence caused her to look above her book, her eye caught in Dean's as he stared at her, questioning.

"They have?" Dean asked suggestively.

"Yeah," Kim continued. Dean waited for her to continue, he gestured with his hands, "My dad."

"Oh really?" Dean asked sarcastically as Kim rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, he used to tell me stories about them," Kim huffed at his rudeness towards her father, not bothering to continue to explain that it wasn't exactly a story, "You need to be an ass about it?"

"Those are stories, I'm trying to come up with a theory here. Okay? Work with me," Dean sighed as Kim looked back to her books. That's what she gets for opening up and talking about her father.

"Dean, we have a theory," Sam sighed.

"Yeah, one with a little less fairy dust on it, please," Dean spluttered.

"Okay, look. I'm not saying we know for sure. I'm just saying that I think-"

"Okay, okay. That's the point. We don't know for sure, so I'm not gonna believe that this thing is a freaking Angel of the Lord because it says so!" Dean groaned frustrated.

"You two Chuckleheads want to keep arguing religion, or do you want to come and take a look at this?" Bobby huffed at them as Kim shot her head to him.

"You found something?" Kim asked, getting up and moving with the boys over to Bobby's desk.

"I got stacks of lore - Biblical, pre-Biblical. Some of it's in damn cuneiform. It all says an angel can snatch a soul from the pit."

"What else?" Dean asked, looking over his shoulder.

"What else, what, Dean? What else could do it?"

"Airlift your ass out of the hot box? As far as I can tell, nothing," Bobby huffed.

"Dean, this is good news," Sam sighed.

"How?" Dean asked, unsure.

"Because for once, this isn't just another round of demon crap. I mean, maybe you were saved by one of the good guys, you know?" Sam said hopefully. They watched as Sam's eyes filled with hope and a small, lippy smile spread across his lips. Kim looked at him and cringed in disgust for his hope, for she knew wiser.

"Who said that Angels are the good guys?" Kim asked, looking up at them. Dean looked at her sadly.

"Okay. Say it's true. Say there are angels. Then what? There's a God?" Dean asked sarcastically.

"At this point, Vegas money's on yeah," Bobby scoffed.

"I don't know, guys," Dean mumbled.

"Okay, look. I know you're not all choirboy about this stuff, but this is becoming less and less about faith and more and more about proof," Sam argued.

"Proof?" Dean scoffed.

"Yes," Sam confirmed. Kim furrowed her eyebrows as she turned to Sam. Yes, she believed in angels. She believed in them from a young age, but faith wasn't what made her believe, it was her father's word.

 _Kimberly's eyes were hollow as she stared up at her father, her lips slightly parted. Her father looked at her mindlessly, his eyes blank and fierce. He hadn't all day to wait for her response and he was growing impatient as he waited for his eight-year-old daughter._

 _Kimberly was about to speak, David leaned forward as she opened her mouth, anticipating her answer; but she quickly closed her mouth before raising an eyebrow. Her father sighed as she thought about a response, not sure she could muster one her father was wanting._

 _"So, you're telling me, angels are real?" Kimberly sassed questionably, raising an eyebrow again. Her father sighed and rubbed his eyes._

 _"Don't patronize me, Kimberly," David sighed, "Yes, angels are real- that's not the point of this conversation. Is that the only thing you registered?" her father asked, looking down at his daughter._

 _"Yes! Obviously, that's the only thing I registered. You just told me that angels are real," Kimberly enthused, throwing her hands about. David looked down on his young, inexperienced daughter and proceeded to warn her._

 _"This is not a story, Kimberly, this is a warning. You are not to converse with them. They are dangerous and paramount," he explained, "Do you understand?"_

 _Kimberly looked up at him, the tone of his voice changed her behaviours instantly. He was not joking around, quite the opposite. He was gravely serious and Kimberly stiffened. Nodding once, her father excepted her response and got up, he had other things to do._

"Proof that there's a God out there that actually gives a crap about me personally? I'm sorry, but I'm not buying it," Dean sassed uneasily, his self-deprivation slipping through his lips too easily.

"Why not?" Sam asked quickly.

"Because why me? If there is a God out there, why would he give a crap about me?" Dean growled.

"Dean-" Sam sympathized.

"I mean, I've saved some people, okay? I figured that made up for the stealing and the ditching chicks. But why do I deserve to get saved? I'm just a regular guy," Dean sighed, looking down as Kim moved her gaze to him.

"Stop with the self-deprecation. Obviously, you're worth it, otherwise we wouldn't be having this conversation," Kim responded.

"Apparently, you're a regular guy that's important to the man upstairs," Sam muttered.

"Well, that creeps me out. I mean, I don't like getting singled out at birthday parties, much less by... God," Dean cringed as he spoke.

"Okay, well, too bad, Dean, because I think he wants you to strap on your party hat," Sam continued. Dean looked around before looking down.

"Fine. What do we know about angels?" he asked irritatedly, not directly to Kim or Bobby, but Kim didn't respond, considering his exceptionalism to her last response. Bobby picked up a pile of weighty books and placed them in front of Dean.

"Start reading," he huffed. Dean looked at the pile before turning towards Kim.

"You like reading," he commented as Kim rolled her eyes, picking up the smallest book in the pile and moving over to a comfortable chair and started reading. "You're gonna get me some pie," Dean said to Sam who just rolled his eyes, leaving.

Slumping in the chair, Kim found a comfortable position resting the heavy book close to her face, not bothering to care about how she looked. She needed a comfortable position to stay in since she had the feeling she would be researching for Dean for a very long time, again.

Flipping the page, she unexpectedly became engrossed in the facts and knowledge that the book held. Her eyes zipped through the words on the page and only a few pages later, forgot why she started reading in the first place-although there was nothing in there that could help them anyway.

With her eyes glued to the page, she ignored the calls of her name from above the book. Anything past the page seemed irrelevant at that moment and subconsciously muted Dean as he called her name. The book was so fascinating and his voice was too familiar for her to remember that he has newly risen from Hell.

"Kim!" Dean called, his head hanging over the book. He waved his hand in front of the page she was reading and Kim instantly shook from her daze, her eyes tracing up to see Dean staring down on her slumped form.

"Yeah," she asked as her eyes moved from him and back to the book.

"We gotta go. Sam's back and Bobby's friend isn't answering any of his calls. We're going to check up on her, come on," Dean explained and she fixed her slumped position and swerved off the chair, following Dean, Bobby and Sam who were already ready to go.

Hopping into the back of the Impala, she found her spot again and shuffled comfortably inside it. She watched as Dean grabbed the brown bag of food for his pie. Taking his head out of the bag disappointedly, he looked over to his brother.

"Dude?"

"Yeah?"

"Where's the pie?"

•※•

The three of them followed Bobby in a seemingly quiet ride, except for the small reminder about how Dean just arose from Hell and Sam couldn't even remember his pie. Parking next to Bobby, they followed in pursuit as he marched into the house, guns cocked and aimed.

"Olivia?" Bobby called out to his friends, which gained no reply. It wasn't long after they entered the door that they found Olivia's mauled, dead body on the floor. Speechless and overwhelmed, Bobby walked off into another room while Kim sent Dean a look.

"Bobby?" Dean called after him.

"Salt line," Sam added, pointing to a doorway. Kim looked over to it before they began searching the house. Dean took out his EMF meter and began his search.

"Olivia was rocking the EMF meter," Dean mentioned as the EMF sounded.

"Spirits?" Kim asked.

"Yeah - on steroids. I've never seen a ghost do this to a person," Dean continued as Kim sighed.

"Oh, perfect," Kim growled sarcastically. After a while, Bobby entered again, his phone in his hand, "You all right?"

"I called some hunters nearby..."

"Good," Dean nodded, "We can use their help."

"...except they ain't answering their phones either."

"Something's up, huh," Sam confirmed as Bobby rolled his eyes at him gingerly.

"You think?" Bobby sassed. Eagerly, Bobby marched out of the room, the three of them sharing a concerned look.

•※•

Some time had passed and Bobby had gone off to go investigate some other hunters that weren't answering their phones. They were walking down the street, Dean was somewhat in front while Kim and Sam trailed behind. Kim had shoved her hands in her pockets, her head casually turned away from Sam. They hadn't talked much since she arrived and Kim had been avoiding him, but he slowed down to her walking pace and she was trapped in an awkward situation where she was waiting for him to initiate a conversation.

She wasn't mad at him, although her actions implied she was, she no longer trusted him as she had before.

"Hey Kim," Sam said as he slightly leaned down towards her.

"Hey," she said, not looking up at him. She kept her sight on the horizon ahead, causing Sam to straighten up a bit.

"I just wanted to–"

"No need," Kim interrupted his pathetic attempt to mend what he broke.

"No, Kim, I need to apologise. Not just for stealing your knife, but for leaving you... which you don't seem too upset about," he muttered the last part. "I just want to explain myself because I know it was wrong," he continued. Kim didn't look at him, didn't even give him a sign that she was listening, but he continued, "but I was under a lot of pressure. Dean had sold his soul for me and I didn't want to fail him again. I thought if I had the knife and... no one to hold me back, I would find a way to bring him back."

Kim didn't respond, it was as if he had said nothing at all. Her lack of sympathy for Sam's sob story didn't shock him, he really didn't expect any reaction at all, he just needed to explain himself and hope that she'd understand.

"We're on our way," Dean said gruffly, hanging up the phone, standing still to let Kim and Sam catch up to him. Kim walked faster, leaving Sam as he walked behind.

"We're going to Bobby's. Trynna find out why the hell some ghosts are gankin' hunters." Kim nodded as she listened to him, Sam was still looking down at her, looking for any sort of reaction. She followed Dean to his car, her own car safely parked at Bobby's, and hopped in the back.

The drive was silent except for the music that played through the car, and eventually, they pulled up to a gas station. Somewhere between the beginning of the ride and their stop at the gas station, Dean had swapped seat with Sam and decided to take a nap in the passenger side, leaving Kim and Sam awake to endure the awkward silence.

"Look, Kim–"

"I've heard it, Sam. I heard it the first time you apologised," she intervened with a rather annoyed tone. She had no respect for people who constantly apologised, it was a habit for the weak.

"Then why won't you talk to me?"

"I'm talking now, aren't I?"

"It's a decision that I regret, a lot more than I thought I would. I just thought– I just don't want you to think that I can't be trusted," he explained quickly, ranting to a degree. Kim stiffened quickly, trust was a fiddly subject for her. Trust–for her–was rarely given and easily broken. One wrong move, in a time of weakness or not, is a move she wouldn't forget, cause all it takes is one wrong move.

"I trust you," she lied easily. She had told that lie more times than she could remember. "Just don't take my knife," she added with a laugh. Comfortably, Sam switched for concerned to glad as a quick smile appeared on his lips, her lie going undetected.

"Lesson learnt," he laughed, pulling into the gas station.

"I'm going to the bathroom," she directed.

"Yup," Sam called after her as she walked, not bothering to turn her head in acknowledgment.

Kim shuffled through the people in the gas station and made her way to the female bathroom, unexpectedly empty. Glad to have some privacy, she moved to enter a stall when she was stopped by the familiar crisp sound of glass freezing. A chill ran through the bathroom and Kim froze instantly. With a quick swirl, she faced the now frozen mirror with her iron knife in her hand.

She watched carefully as she waited for a ghost to appear, her position stiffened to a hunting stance as her eyes darted around the room, ready for anything unexpected. Her grip was stronger than ever, the iron becoming so cold it almost froze her hand to the metal. She stood still, the lights began to flicker, a cloud of breath escaped her mouth, a figure appeared behind her in the mirror.

It was hard to make out with the mirror behind frozen and stiff, but it was unmistakably male. With a quick turn, she turned to face the figure behind her but the figure that was no longer there. Her heartbeat quickening, she turned back to the mirror and waited. Bathroom stall doors started to move, creaking an eerily noise that crept around the room.

As if on cue, the same figure appeared behind, just a step closer, this time with his back facing Kim. Her eyes fastened themselves of the figure in the mirror. With the ghost only a step closer, she could make out some details she couldn't before. Like the plaid vest he wore, or the chain around his neck, or the signature mullet that brushed his shoulders, and slowly, the figure turned around.

"Ash," Kim whispered mortified, her eyes unable to move away from him. Her eyes took in all of him, appreciating all the detail she had taken for granted. His skull necklace dangled on his chest, her hand automatically reached for the one around her neck. His hair was naturally shaggy, his skin perfectly clear, free from blemishes and redness. He looked so... new.

"Hey Kim," Ash smiled, his voice dripping with the thick Texan accent she missed so much. Kim's grip loosened on her knife.

"W-what are you doing here?" she asked hopelessly.

Hopeless, what a disgusting word.

She swallowed her fear as she turned around to look at him. He was even more untarnished than she once thought. Everything about him felt unreal; his presence, his voice. It hadn't felt like a long time since she became numb to the pain of him leaving and the cold, unfamiliar presence that he brought with him was most unwelcome but his face brought her a type of joy she had forgotten.

"Aren't you happy to see me?" he asked happily, the wide smile Kim knew and loved appeared on his face and Kim began to feel at home. "I mean since you are the one that killed me."

"What?" Kim stuttered out, unable to say anything else, her grip on her knife continuing to faultier.

"You called me up. You brought me into this. Me, Jo and Ellen. This is your fault," he stared calmly, slowly raising his voice as he spoke, "It's your fault I'm dead! And it will be your fault that Jo and Ellen die! Everything that happened to me, the Roadhouse– your home! It's your fault!" his voice echoed in the bathroom, before slowing down to a pause, "We were dead the moment you first walked through the Roadhouse doors."

Kim stayed silent, unable to tear her eyes off him. It was in her silent moment that Ash sent a violent swing towards her sending her flying back, breaking the bathroom mirror, crashing into the sink. Her knife dropped to the floor, a fiery pain surged through her back. She laid stiff as she reached for her knife, her fingertips crawling their way around the handle. Just as she got a firm grip, Ash's shoe descended on her fingers, crushing Kim's hand. She struggled under his weight, wiggling her hand about until it eventually became free, shooting the knife right through Ash's foot. He fizzled for a moment, but it wasn't enough to make him disappear.

Kim stumbled up, her grip as strong as before as she watched Ash turn immensely angry, noticing a small brand of his arm. His face scrunched up, his face turned red, slightly distorted. He was no longer as beautiful and innocent as Kim once saw him, but she had no power to lift her knife and stab him.

She watched as he charged towards her, sending her into the corner of the room, her back cracking. She cried out in pain, the knife still in her grip. She was cornered, and Ash was coming. He was swift and toxic, Kim had no choice. Holding the knife out, she watched as Ash ran through the iron knife, disappearing.

Kim caught her breath, not even a second later did Dean and Sam charge through the female bathroom doors, guns in hand. Kim pressed her back against the wall, blood dripping from her forehead. She nodded once as Dean wrapped a sturdy arm around her waist, helping her back to the car.

•※•

It was night, Kim sat in the back seat with a bruised face and bloodied tissue held to her forehead. Sam was sitting on the passenger side of the car, resting his head back as Dean drove. He held the opponent up to his ear and groaned when no one answered.

"Damn it, Bobby! Pick up!" Dean argued as he looked at his phone, "How are you feeling, huh? How many fingers am I holding up?" Dean asked Kim as he stuck two fingers up at her from the front. Kim sighed and watched him, his eyes locked to her from the rear view mirror.

"Two, Dean, I said I was fine," Kim sighed as she took the tissue off her forehead, checked it, before placing it back on.

"So, Ash?" Dean asked Kim who stiffened quickly.

"Uh, yeah," she said, forcing herself to relax a bit.

"What did he want?" Sam asked. Kim stayed silent for a moment, Ash's words repeating in her head.

"Revenge... for killing him," she replied, gaining an immediate response from Dean.

"Kim–"

"If I hadn't called him, he wouldn't have been involved in this."

"All right. Stop right there. Whatever the hell is going on, it's happening to us now, okay? I can't get ahold of Bobby, so if you're not thinking answers, don't think at all."

•※•

Dean zoomed off to Bobby's, making it in record time. Quickly entering his shaggy house with their guns cocked and aim high, they searched for Bobby's.

"Bobby?" They march into the living room where they find an iron poker lying on the ground, but no Bobby, panic settled in. Looking around, Dean gestured upstairs.

"I'll go. You check outside," he told Sam. "You do the basement." They looked at him and nodded once, the three of them go their separate ways.

Kim crept through the house, her gun still aimed head height. Finding the stairs down to the basement, she took them one step at a time, making sure to keep her speed slow. As she walked, she saw the dark basement beneath her, cold and unwelcoming. Unafraid, she descended into the unknown in hopes to find Bobby, alive and well.

Submerging herself into the darkness, she listened for anything, there was nothing. Felling for a light switch she turned on the dim light. No one was there. Searching a bit further, Kim turned around some corners and searched under blankets, but there was nothing.

Quickly, the light flickered. Kim stiffened. Turned around quickly, she covered herself from all angles. Shoving her gun back into her waistband, she pulled out her iron knife. Holding it firmly, she looked around in a circular motion and waited. Her back was facing a wall when she heard a staticky noise behind her. Turning sharply, she saw a familiar, faded figure standing in front of her, looking sad and lonely.

Corbett stood in front of her, head hanging down and shameful. Kim remembered him, his death was always something that haunted Kim, she knew she could have prevented it.

"Corbett," Kim gawked sadly.

"Kim," he replied. They stayed silent for a moment as he stared at her. "You could have done something. You knew we weren't ready, you knew I wasn't prepared for this," he started, getting angrier. "You let me leave!"

"You snuck off! I–I was trying to protect you!" Kim screamed back.

"You did nothing! You chatted with your boy-toys as I screamed for help! This is your fault! You did this!" He pointed to his body, gesturing towards his faint figure. He screamed and screamed until it was the only thing Kim would hear. Covering her heard, she charged, swinging desperately at the ghost. It went straight through him, his familiar screamed turned for angry to desperate as she watched him fade away.

•※•

"So, they're all people we know?" Sam, Dean, Bobby and Kim stood in Bobby's study, talking. They shared what they experienced when they split up. Dean saw Met, or rather Meg's vessel, the girl we couldn't save. Sam saw Bobby with tow girls, girls he couldn't save. Kim explained that she saw Corbett, what he said, how he screamed.

"Not just know. People we couldn't save," Dean explained, "Hey, I saw something on Meg. Did she have a tattoo when she was alive?"

"I don't think so," Kim shrugged.

"It was like a-a mark on her hand - almost like a brand," Dean explained, Kim nodded eagerly.

"Yeah, I saw that on Ash, too," Kim said glumly.

"What did it look like?" Bobby asked quickly. Kim looked around slightly.

"Uh, I could draw it, if you like?" she shrugged looking for some paper. "Thanks," she said, taking the paper from Bobby as he handed it to her. Drawing on the loose piece of paper, she drew a little symbol before holding it up to the three boys.

"That's it," Dean pointing down to it, taking the paper out of Kim's hands.

"I may have seen this before," Bobby gawked, looking at the drawing. He began to panic, "We got to move."

"Whoa," Sam hushed as Bobby pushed them towards the basement.

"Follow me."

"Okay, where are we going?" Sam asked.

"Someplace safe, ya idjit." Bobby picked up some books and leans Sam, Dean and Kim to the basement, where Bobby unlocked a room made entirely of iron, covers with pentagrams and demon traps.

"Bobby is this..." Sam awed as they looked around the room.

"Solid iron. Completely coated in salt. 100% ghost-proof," Bobby admitted proudly.

"You built a panic room?" Sam asked, amazed. The three of them looked over to Bobby, who just shrugged.

"I had a weekend off," he huffed.

"Bobby," Dean sighed in awe.

"What?" Bobby grouched.

"You're awesome," he laughed slightly as Kim walked into the room, "Oh," Dean saw a poster of a swimsuit model hung up in the room. Kim rolled her eyes as Dean smirked.

Sam, Dean and Kim are making salt bullets.

"See, this is why I can't get behind God," Dean grouched as he continued to the bullets.

"What are you talking about?" Sam asked, confused by his sudden comment.

"If he doesn't exist, fine. Bad crap happens to good people. That's how it is. There's no rhyme or reason - just random, horrible, evil - I get it, okay. I can roll with that. But if he is out there, what's wrong with him? Where the hell is he while all these decent people are getting torn to shreds? How does he live with himself? You know, why doesn't he help?" Dean ranted, getting slightly frustrated.

"I ain't touching this one with at 10-foot pole," Bobby added as Kim scoffed a laugh.

"Yeah."

"Found it," Bobby hyped.

"What?"

"The symbol you saw - the brand on the ghosts..." Bobby explained, looking at with information he found, "Mark of the Witness."

"Witness? Witness to what?" Sam asked Bobby.

"The unnatural. None of them died what you'd call ordinary deaths," Bobby continued. Kim swallowed a knowing lump in her throat. "See, these ghosts - they were forced to rise. They woke up in agony. They were like rabid dogs. It ain't their fault. Someone Rose them... on purpose."

"Who?" Sam asked.

"Do I look like I know?" Bobby snapped, "But whoever it was used a spell so powerful it left a mark, a brand on their souls. Whoever did this had big plans. It's called 'the rising of the witnesses.' It figures into an ancient prophecy," Bobby nodded towards Kim. Kim looked at him, wide-eyed and fearful. As he explained, things started to fall into place. Bobby looked at Kim, he knew that she knew what he was talking about.

"Wait, wait. What - what book is that prophecy from?" Dean asked harshly.

"Well, the widely distributed version's just for tourists, you know. But long story short - Revelations. This is a sign, boys," Bobby gulped. The boys looked to each other, Dean noticed the mortified expression across Kim's face.

"A sign of what?" Sam and Dean asked eagerly, looking between Kim and Bobby, knowing both of them knew the answer. Kim let out a defeated sigh.

"The apocalypse."

"Apocalypse? The apocalypse, apocalypse? The four horsemen, pestilence, $5-a-gallon-gas apocalypse?" Dean rushed rapidly, blurting out his words mindlessly as he tried to process what Kim and Bobby had just told him.

"Sounds about right," Kim nodded, still shaken by the news.

"The rise of the witnesses is a mile marker," Bobby confirmed.

"Okay, so, what do we do now?" Sam asked quickly.

"Road trip. Grand Canyon, Star Trek Experience, Kim, Bunny Ranch," Dean huffed quickly, they could barely hear what he said.

"First things first. How about we survive our friends out there?" Bobby pointed outside the safe room.

"Great. Any ideas aside from staying in this room until Judgment Day?" Dean asked, sarcastically cheery.

"It's a spell," he looks at the papers in front of him, "to send the witnesses back to rest. Should work."

"Should. Great," Sam sighed.

"If I translate it correctly. I think I got everything we need here at the house," Bobby explained and Kim nodded.

"Great, let's do this," Kim nodded affirmatively.

"Any chance you got everything we need here in this room?" Dean asked quickly causing Bobby to roll his eyes.

"So, you thought our luck was gonna start now all of a sudden? Spell's got to be cast over an open fire," Bobby instructed.

"The fireplace in the library," Kim sighed in realisation.

"Bingo."

"That's just not as appealing as a, uh, ghost-proof panic room, you know?" Dean sighed with a fake smile. Kim whipped out her knife, trusting it more than the salt-bulleted gun. The four of them marched out of the safe room, all their weapons up and ready.

"Cover each other. And aim carefully. Don't run out of ammo until I'm done, or they'll shred you. Ready?" Bobby asked as they made their way out of the room and upstairs and immediately see a ghost sitting on a chair, a young, chubby man with curly hair.

"Hey, Dean. You remember me?" the man asked

A young, chubby man held up a gun as he stood in the middle of a bank. He looked scared, frightened. A young man who thought he was doing what was right.

"Everybody get on the floor! He's got the laser eyes!"

"Ronald, huh? With the laser eyes? I wish I could say it's good to see you," Dean told Ronald, the young man who thought the shifter was a robot with laser eyes.

"I am dead because of you. You were supposed to help me!" Ronald shouted before a bullet shot through him.

"If you're gonna shoot, shoot. Don't talk," Bobby ordered Dean as they made their way to the living room. Sam created a circle in salt, the four of them staying inside it.

"Upstairs, linen closet - red hex box. It'll be heavy," Bobby ordered Sam.

"Got it," Sam nodded and left.

"Kitchen. Cutlery draw. It's got a false bottom. Hemlock, opium, wormwood," Bobby told Dean.

"Opium?"

"Go!" Dean fleas and Kim stood and covered Bobby. One of the girls appeared and Kim sent a deadly swing to her, but the other appeared.

"You walked right by us while that monster ate us all up," one girl said.

"You could have saved us." Kim grabbed her gun and shot them, standing next to Bobby. He continued to work on his spell, gathering things and translating instructions. Kim stood guard, two guns in her hand and her knife tucked safely in her waistband.

"Dean?" Bobby called after not hearing from him in a while.

"I'm all right Bobby! Keep working!" Dean shouted back. Bobby looked at Kim, who had just shot another ghost.

"What did he say?"

"He said to keep working, he's fine," Kim said, throwing away an empty gun.

"Bullshit, go see what that idjit's up to," Bobby ordered after Kim shot another ghost.

"But Bobby–"

"Go!" Kim whipped out her knife and charged for Dean, following Bobby's order. Swinging at ghosts and pushing past clutter, she made her way towards the kitchen. Pushing the door open, she saw Dean behind blocked by Victor Henriksen, the man they couldn't save when Lilith first arrived. He was an excellent cop, one that was always looking to chuck the three of them in jail.

Suddenly, Victor reached into Dean's chest, gripping Dean's heart.

"Tell me how it's fair. You get saved from Hell - I die. Why do you deserve another chance, Dean?" he screamed as he gripped his heart, Dean barely able to breathe. Quickly, Kim made her way towards him, sending her knife straight through his chest. He vanished, and Dean fell to the floor, gasping for breath. Kim reached for him as he grasped for her arm for support. She held him as he gasped.

"You all good?" she asked stupidly.

"No," he gasped.

"Great, let's go." With that, she dragged him with all her strength and helped him into the circle of salt. Sam had already returned with what he was ordered to get, Dean and his. Kim sat Dean down and handed Bobby the ingredient he demanded, helping him along. Ghost continued to appear, ammo was running low. Kim had the only weapon useful other than an iron fire poker.

Ghost by ghost, the kept reappearing. Single ammo bullets were left. They were low on supply and Bobby was still working on the spell. With three ghosts in front of them, two bullets left and a window opened, destroying the only other protection that had; the salt line.

The ghost smirked and step forwards, Dean shot his last two bullets as Sam reached for the fire poker. Dean was defenceless. Kim sent a swing to the ghost in front of her before chucking Dean her blade.

"Kim–"

"Don't question it, just use it," she ordered as he knifed the ghost in front of him. She watched as ghost began to appear, knife or bullet, it wasn't a permanent kill, Bobby just needed some more time. They kept appearing, two behind Bobby.

"Cover Bobby!" Kim shouted to Sam over the noise of static. Sam looked to her as she faces three ghosts in front of her, defenceless. Ronald stood in front of Dean, and with a quick swing, he sent Dean up against the wall, Kim's knife on the floor. He tripped him there with the desk, Kim and Sam fighting off the ghosts however they could.

"But–"

"No Bobby, no spell and we all die! Got it?" she asked him, but it wasn't a question, it was an order. Hesitantly, Sam moved over to Bobby as he continued the spell, fighting off the ghosts that threatened him. Kim stood as the three ghosts confronted her, each sent a hand inside her chest, gripping her heart painfully.

Bobby started chanting in Latin, the ghost hands still ripping through her chest. She cried out, Dean shuffled against the wall, his eyes locked on Kim. She was on her knees, defenceless, ghost hands through her chest, ruining her. Sam and Bobby couldn't do anything. If Sam helped Kim, there would be ghosts ready to pounce on Bobby in a second.

Bobby continued to chant, Kim cried out, Sam stood guard while Dean watched Kim scream. No one could help her, she was alone. With a quick throw, Bobby chucks the ingredients in the bowl into the fire, and Kim felt as the hands in her chest burned up, the ghosts evaporated into fire and smoke.

Kim gasped for air, a fire in her chest that started to deflate. Letting her lungs became filled with much-deprived oxygen, she looked around. Swallowing a lump in her throat and her head slump, she swayed on her knees before collapsing in exhaustion.


	40. Chapter Thirty-Eight

It was night and the four of them were asleep at Bobby's house. It was extremely quiet as the moonlight shone through the window. Sam was asleep on the couch, but not before arguing with Kim that she should take it. Of course, she refused, although both brothers thought that after getting three hands ripped through her chest, she deserved it. Kim slept in an old armchair while Dean took a soft piece of floor nearby.

Kim turned in her sleep, it wasn't a very comfortable few hours of her turning in the chair. It wasn't bad because of her position, it was because of the constant pain in her chest. Her eyes fluttered open as she rumbled around in the chair, her hand churned up to her chest. Blinking a few times, she stretched, getting up and pulling her hand over her head, her shirt riding up to show a small part of her stomach.

Suddenly, her hands came flying down when's she heard Dean shuffling, lifting his heavy head off the ground.

"How long have you been up?" Dean asked her, getting up and stretching the same way.

"Not long," she whispered back, her eyes dropping around the dark room. Her gaze fell upon an unfamiliar figure in the kitchen. Quickly, she tapped Dean's shoulder and pointed to the figure, both of them falling into an instinctive hunter mode.

Both weaponless, they walked into the kitchen cautiously, the thought that it was Bobby quickly faded from their minds as they saw Castiel, the man in the cream trench coat standing there, very proper.

"Excellent job with the witnesses," Castile said lowly, very professional. His eyes were locked with Dean's, completely ignoring Kim's presence.

"You were hip to all this?" Dean whispered angrily. Castiel shuffled a bit but kept his head high.

"I was, uh, made aware," he replied.

"Well, thanks a lot for the angelic assistance. You know, Kim almost got her heart ripped out of her chest," Dean announced angrily, pointing to Kim her stood in the same stance Castiel was. At the mention of her name, Castiel looked at her, not changing his posture. He looked at her simply, taking in her presence and acknowledging she was there.

"But she didn't," he said unsympathetically.

"I thought angels were supposed to be guardians. Fluffy wings, halos - you know, Michael Landon. Not dicks," Dean grouched frustrated.

"Read the Bible. Angels are warriors of God. I'm a soldier," Castiel replied seriously, no emotion in his voice.

"A soldier that doesn't fight. Seems legate," Kim scoffed.

"I'm not here to perch on your shoulder. We had larger concerns," he corrected.

"Concerns? There were people getting torn to shreds down here! And, by the way, while all this is going on, where the hell is your boss, huh, if there is a God?" Dean replied angrily, continuing to get frustrated.

"There's a God," Castiel continued to correct him, making him even more furious.

"I'm not convinced. 'Cause if there's a God, what the hell is he waiting for, huh? Genocide? Monsters roaming the earth? The freaking apocalypse? At what point does he lift a damn finger and help the poor bastards that are stuck down here?"

"The Lord works in–"

"If you say 'mysterious ways,' so help me, I will kick your ass," Dean grouched, pointing an angry finger at him, "So, Bobby was right... about the witnesses. This is some kind of a... sign of the apocalypse," Dean gawked. Castile nodded his head once.

"That's why we're here. Big things afoot," Castiel replied.

"Do I want to know what kind of things?" Dean asked.

"I wanna know," Kim added. "What the hell is going on?"

"I sincerely doubt it, but you need to know. The rising of the witnesses is one of the 66 seals," Castiel replied as Kim's mouth fell open. Dean turned to Kim, knowing that a reaction like that from her never meant anything good.

"Okay. I'm guessing that's not a show at Seaworld," Dean said looking to her.

"Oh shit," Kim swore.

"What– what're the 66 seals?" Dean asked her.

"I've read about them before, but they were known to be a myth. Just some shit the church used to scare people," Kim breathed, wide-eyed and astonished.

"I assure you, it is not a myth," Castiel replied sternly, "Those seals are being broken by Lilith."

"She did the spell? She rose the witnesses?"

"Mm-hmm. And not just here, twenty other hunters are dead," Castiel confirmed.

"Of course. She picked victims that the hunters couldn't save so that they would barrel right after us," Dean grouched.

"Lilith has a certain sense of humor," Castiel replied.

"No one's laughing," Kim urged as she rubbed her tired eyes, "but if we put the spirits to rest, is the seal still broken?"

"The seal was broken," Castiel confirmed.

"Why break the seal anyway?" Dean asked Castiel, looking between him and Kim. She swallows a lump in her throat, swallowing the answer.

"You think of the seals as locks on a door," Castile replied.

"A door that should never be open," Kim added softly, mostly to herself. Dean looked at her, leading her on.

"Okay... the last one opens and..." Kim took a breath.

"Lucifers walks free," she breathed out, a manner of responsibility fell on her shoulder.

"Lucifer? But I thought Lucifer was just a story they told at demon Sunday school. There's no such thing," Dean huffed.

"Three days ago, you thought there was no such thing as me – although Kim believed," Castiel added, "Why do you think we're here walking among you now for the first time in 2,000 years?"

"To stop Lucifer," Dean breathed out, coming to a realisation.

"That's why we've arrived. It is said that God created a creature greater than us to suppress Lucifers wrath, but such allegory doesn't exist," Castiel added.

"Well... bang-up job so far. Stellar work with the witnesses. That's nice," Dean added sarcastically.

"We tried," Castiel added defensively, "And there are other battles, other seals. Some we'll win, some we'll lose. This one we lost. Our numbers are not unlimited. Six of my brothers died in the field this week. You think the armies of Heaven should just follow you around? There's a bigger picture here. You should show me some respect. I dragged you out of Hell. I can throw you back in."

And with a flutter of wings, Castiel vanished.

•※•

Dean fell back asleep, but Kim couldn't. Not one comfortable position was enough to make her sleepy, the thought of Lucifer roaming the Earth was enough to keep her awake for the whole night.

Later on in the morning, Sam woke up and saw the bags under Kim's eyes as she curled up in the chair.

"Kim?" Sam asked, creeping up on her. Kim turned her head to him, the tiredness in her face externally evident, "Couldn't sleep?" Kim shuffled a bit, sitting up in the chair before standing up.

"Oh, nah," she replied casually, shrugging it off. Both of them got up and made their way towards the kitchen. It was quiet between them as Sam made some coffee, pouring Kim a larger mug than normal. Taking it gratefully from him, she sniffed it before taking a sip.

Both of them sat at the table in silence, the looks between them not going unnoticed. Sam swirled his coffee in his mug before looking up at Kim, who met his gaze. She sighed, knowing what he wanted.

"Do you want me to make breakfast?" Kim sighed.

"Pancakes please," he smiled in triumph, "Bobby should have the ingredients." Kim huffed a laugh and got up, leaving her half-empty mug of coffee on the table.

Gathering the ingredients, she put everything she needed into a bowl before mixing it up. Sam watched her from the table as she worked, her shirt rising as she working in the ingredients, whisking everything together. Adding a few things, she left the mixture to the side to start making the syrup.

After a few minutes and the first stack of pancakes were finished with a bowl of syrup, Dean woke up. Moving to the kitchen, he plonked himself down on the table and took a sip of Kim's leftover coffee as she placed the stack of pancakes in the middle of the table, with plates and cutlery.

"You all right? What's wrong, Dean?" Sam asked Dean, noticing his discomfort. Dean shuffled a bit as Kim sat down at the table, taking back her coffee. Dean sent her a look which she caught, before taking a sip.

"So... You got no problem believing in... God and Angels?" Dean asked Sam, who was confused in the sudden question.

"No, not really," Sam shrugged.

"So, I guess that means that you believe in the Devil," Dean asked, his eyes moving to Kim who shuffled uncomfortably, Sam did the same, taking a bite of pancakes before looking at him, confused.

"Why are you asking me all this?"

•※•

It had been a few weeks since that conversation and things had been getting weirder. Sam had been disappearing throughout the day, not to return for hours. Kim started to notice that Sam was only leaving while Dean was out, a pattern she was sure he didn't want her to pick up on. Whenever he asked him where he was going, he'd ignore her question and move on. His odd behaviour made her suspicious of how many times he'd leave with neither Dean or Kim in the room, let alone the questions that were already in her head.

Not to mention the odd behaviour of Dean all of a sudden. He went missing for a day, not that Sam noticed with his random disappearances. Kim was enraged when she woke up to an empty motel room. It was becoming a habit Kim was quick to become annoyed with. Groaning angrily, she snatched her laptop from her bedside table and sat up, the light glaring in her eyes.

Quickly, Kim began to enable the trackers on both Sam and Dean's phone. Sam's connected automatically – even though he tried really hard to remove it after Dean's arrival – but Dean's refused to connect, which was odd. Kim knew Dean had fiddled with his tracker, not that he knew that he was being tracked. Kim began to hack through the program, trying to find a way to enable Dean's tracker, but her knowledge was limited.

Licking her teeth, she switched back to Sam.

425 Waterman.

She packed her things and grabbed her jacket, swiftly swinging it over her shoulders. Grabbing a crowbar, she snuck outside, making sure that there was no one about. Finding a suitable car, she effortlessly unlocked it and disabled the alarm, shuffling herself into the front seat and driving off after making sure to have both her iron knife and demon knife securely with her.

It hadn't taken long to find and follow Sam, arriving at his destination after a short drive. Climbing out of the car, she made her way towards the warehouse, not bothering to have her hand hovering over her weapon. Sliding the door opened slightly, she stuck her head through the gap. She couldn't see anything, the warehouse was very dark, only a slimmer of light show through a high dusty window.

Sliding herself through the gap, she continued to walk. She started hearing voices in a distant room, so instinctively she followed it. One was definitely Sam.

"Where's Lilith?" Sam asked as Kim crept closer, making sure not to make any noise.

"Kiss my ass," another man's voice said.

"I'd watch myself if I were you," Sam replied cockily.

"Why? Huh? Because you're Sam Winchester, Mr Big Hero? And yet here you are, slutting around with some demon. A real hero," the voice replied, but Kim was less worried about that voice and more concerned about this demon Sam was 'slutting' around with.

Ruby.

"Shut your mouth," Sam seethed.

"Tell me about those months without your brother, ditching Kim, not like she needed you anyway. No one needs you," the voice smirked, "Tell me about all the things you and this demon bitch do in the dark." Kim crept closer, managing to sneak up to the door, a small crack allowed her to peek through. "Huh? Tell me, hero."

Sam couldn't control his anger, his face scrunching with rage. For inning his hand up, he forced the demon out of the man. The black smoke fled from the man's mouth and descended to the floor, back to where it came from.

Kim was astounded, unable to tare her eyes away, but she had heard footsteps from behind her and was eager to retreat. With a quick turn, Kim hid in the shadows, no noise was to be heard from her. Storming foot sets boomed through the warehouse, and as the figure stepped closer, she came to realise it was Dean.

Stepping out of the shadows, Kim confronted him, quite angrily.

"Where the hell were you?" she whisper-yelled at him, but he hadn't even noticed she had asked a question he was blinded with his own anger.

"You knew he was doing this!" he yelled back, pointing to the room Sam was currently in.

"Hell no! I just found out now!" she yelled back. Shaking his head, he moved over to the door and opened it, Kim standing directly aside him. Sam stopped in his tracks as he was about to open the door. He stood directly in front of Dean and Kim, who were both fuming. Dean waited for a second before doing anything, taking in the horrified expression on Sam's face.

"So... anything you wanna tell me, Sam?" Dean asked passively as Kim stood cross-armed beside him. Sam looked around innocently as a girl moved to stand behind him.

"Dean, hold on, okay?" Sam backed up as Dean and Kim marched forward.

"Dean's not the only one you need to worry about, Sam," she warned, raising an eyebrow that suggested that she knew more than he thought she did. His eyes started switching between Kim and Dean.

"Just let me–"

"You gonna say, 'let me explain'? You're gonna explain this? How about this? Why don't you start with who she is, and what the hell is she doing here?"

"Ruby," Kim said with the utmost disgust. Even in the new, unfamiliar vessel, Kim could tell it was Ruby. Her body may have changed, but her facial expressions were just as disgusting as before. Kim was instantly filled with an immense amount of rage when she looked her directly in her eyes, instantly tensing.

"It's good to see you again, Dean," Ruby smirked, stepping out from behind Sam. Dean tensed just as Kim did. Ruby turned form Dean to Kim, "I'm honoured you recognised me, Kim."

"Don't flatter yourself," Kim scoffed dramatically, "What other demons would Sam be slutting around with?" Kim smirked as Ruby's sly smirk dropped from her face, realising she had heard more than they thought.

Kim's eyes quickly glanced over Ruby's stance and automatically reached for her demon knife. Just in time, Kim whipped out the knife as Ruby charged for her. Ruby narrowly missed Kim's blade, but Kim knew it nicked her side, a quick wince escaping Ruby. With a quick and skilled move, Kim instantly had Ruby against a wall, knife against her throat. Now she was wearing the sly smirk.

"Don't worry," Kim smirked, "I'll make it quick," she smirked as she applied pressure causing Ruby to coil.

"Don't!" Sam yelled, grabbing Kim her waist and dragging her away from Ruby. Kim wiggled in his grasp, but it was firmly around her. She writhed in his grip as she watched Ruby stable herself with a cocky smile. Kim forced herself away from him, causing her to stumble away from him, another strong arm reached out to stable her. Dean pulled her by his side, a shocked expression on his face as he faced his brother. With the knife in her hand, Kim swirled it around threateningly, pointing it straight at Ruby.

Ruby raged, throwing Kim to the other side of the room, smashing her back against the wall. Kim dropped her knife, it laid on the floor next to her feet. Before she could reach for it, a hand wrapped firmly around her neck, holding her against the wall. Ruby smirked as her eyes flickered from the Kim to the knife.

"Touch it and I'll kill you," Kim warned seriously.

"Oh really, how?" Ruby sassed as Kim struggled, her lungs starting to collapse with the lack of oxygen, but she refused to show her discomfort.

"Don't worry, I'll find a way." Ruby tightened her grip around Kim's neck as she struggled for a breath.

"Ruby! Stop it!" Sam yelled from behind them. Ruby stared deeply into Kim's eyes, a slither of disgust could be seen on her face as she reluctantly let go of Kim, letting her fall to the floor. Instantly, before she even took a breath, Kim reached for the knife, hiding it underneath herself as Ruby walked back to Sam. Kim raised herself, standing unstable on her feet, swaying slightly. She had hit her head pretty hard when she was thrown against the wall, then again when she fell to the floor.

With an awkward sway, Kim spat out a mouthful of blood, before moving over to Dean, standing firmly beside him as Ruby did to Sam.

"Well, aren't you an obedient little bitch?" Dean hissed at her as she followed Sam's orders. She didn't respond, but her look said it all.

"Ruby." She stared at Dean and Kim furiously before turning to Sam, "Ruby, he's hurt." He indicated to the man who was possessed by the demon. "Go," he told her sternly. Licking her teeth, she moved over to the man and hoked him over her shoulder.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Dean asked her.

"The ER... unless you have another idea," she sassed and Dean didn't say anything as she walked out of the room. With a single sigh, both Kim and Dean turned to look at Sam, a matching look of disappointment on their face.

"Dean," Sam tried to reason with him, but he just turned his back and started walking away. "Dean!" Sam yelled after him, but he didn't acknowledge him. Sam sighed sorrowfully, looking desperately at Kim who was still standing there, slightly sore.

"Kim," he whispered desperately, but she just shook her head, following Dean, leaving Sam behind.

•※•

Sam was sitting at the table in the motel, awkwardly fiddling with the book in front of him. He was supposed to be reading it, but he was distracted by Kim sitting on the couch, on her laptop, not a word had been shared between them since they were in the warehouse. Dean was out, letting off some steam. Kim suggested to him that he didn't come back to the motel straight away, he wasn't in the right mood.

Sam reached up to his sore cheek, placing an ice pack on it as Kim fiddled with the page she was reading. Kim threw a shattering punch towards his face, which he made no attempt to avoid, spitting out a mouthful of blood. She then trudged towards the freezer, getting an icepack out for him and shoving it carelessly into his hands.

She was furious at him, not for him exorcising a demon with his mind, which she knew she had no right to comment on. She was furious because he trusted and worked with a demon, and not just any demon, it just had to be the demon that stole the knife her father sold his soul for. The demon she despised the most.

Kim tapped away at her laptop, aware of how uncomfortable Sam was, but she didn't have the empathy to care. After reading the same word over one thousand times, he looked up at Kim, who instantly felt his eyes at the back of her head.

"Just listen to me Kim-"

"Ruby. Out of every freaking one in the world, it had to be Ruby," she pat, uninterested in his excuses. She shut her laptop quickly, her head snapping towards him.

"I'm sorry-"

"Oh, you're sorry," she sassed, getting up and moving over to the table, "You're sorry you're trusting the demon that made my dad's deal worthless. He's been in Hell for twelve years for nothing," she seethed as Sam sighed. She knew he didn't understand. It was her fault. Kim's hands were firmly over the table as she leaned over Sam angrily.

The door opened and an extremely angry Dean marched into the room, not bothering to look at Sam, yet he noticed the dominating figure of Kim leaning over him.

Sam stood up immediately as Dean marched in, dropping the ice pack onto the table. Kim shuffled and fixed her posture, standing straight. Sam sent her a sad look which she shook off, walking away from him.

Dean grabbed his bag and started packing it hurriedly.

"Dean, what are you doing?" Sam asked him with a sigh as she watched his brother pack. Kim watched, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed unfazed at the situation. In fact, she wondered why she hadn't done that before. Dean ignored Sam and continued to pack, placing his bag at the front door. Dean just ignores him and continues packing.

"What, are you, are you leaving?"

"You don't need me. You and Ruby go fight demons," Dean huffed as he continued hurriedly, "I'm surprised Kim is still here."

"Me too," she huffed. Dean grabbed his bags and started heading to the door, but Sam stood in the way, stopping Dean in his tracks.

"Hold on. Dean, come on, man," Sam pleaded, but Dean swung around to his brother, sending a punch directly into his jaw. Kim watched, still leaning against the wall as Sam got punched. He deserved that. Sam swirled around by the force, his hand moving over to his jaw.

"You satisfied?" Sam sassed stupidly, causing Dean to hit him again, in which Kim stood up straight and walked over to Dean.

"All right, that's enough. I already got a swing in there," Kim told Dean, settling him.

"I guess not," Sam sighed, touching his bleeding lip.

"Do you even know how far off the reservation you've gone? How far from normal? From human?" Dean yelled. Kim shuffled at his words.

"I'm just exorcising demons," Sam told him.

"With your mind!" he yelled before settling a bit, "What else can you do?"

"I can send them back to Hell. It only works with demons, and that's it," Sam told him, but Dean didn't buy it. Dean grabbed a fistful of his brother's shirt and pushed him roughly,

"What else can you do?!" Dean screamed, spit flying from his lips.

"I told you!" Sam pushed his brother away and Kim walked over to them again.

"I said, enough!" she screamed, causing both of the brothers to look at her. She sighed and pushed Dean away from Sam.

"And I have every reason in the world to believe that," Dean spat, returning to their conversation. He began to walk towards the door.

"Look, I should have said something," Sam acknowledged. Dean turned around to face him.

"You shouldn't have left Kim," Dean corrected, his back still to Sam.

"I'm sorry. I am. But try to see the other side here," Sam added, causing Dean to turn around to face him, a disgust expression on his face.

"The other side?" Dean sassed

"I'm pulling demons out of innocent people," Sam tried to reason.

"Use the knife!" Dean shrugged angrily.

"The knife kills the victim! What I do, most of them survive! Look, I've saved more people in the last five months than we save in a year." Sam was trying his best to convince them both he was doing it for the right reason.

"Five months! I thought You were trackin' him," Dean yelled, turning to Kim.

"I was!" Kim exclaimed, "I just wasn't tracking Ruby! I had no idea they were together," she defended.

"That's what Ruby wants you to think? Huh? Kind of like the way she tricked you into using your powers?" Dean warned his brother, but his words were never taken into consideration. Dean shook his head, sadly.

"Slippery slope, brother. Just wait and see. Because it's gonna get darker and darker, and God knows where it ends."

"I'm not gonna let it go too far," Sam reassured. Dean smiled sarcastically at that, he walked over to the lamp on the bedside table hit it, sending it flying against the wall, smashing into pieces on the floor.

"It's already gone too far, Sam!" Dean yelled at his brother, suddenly becoming angry again, "If I didn't you know... I would wanna hunt you," Dean told him sternly. Kim opened her mouth slightly, watching from afar as the brothers fought. Sam's eyes are teary but he nods towards his brother, looking down shamefully. "And so would other hunters," Dean looked to Kim who didn't respond.

Sam let out a shaky breath, nodding slowly towards his brother.

"You were gone. I was here. I had to keep on fighting without you. And what I'm doing... It works," Sam opened up.

"Well, tell me. If it's so terrific... then why'd you lie about it to me? Or Kim?" Sam looked back down, not having an answer.

"Why did an angel tell me to stop you?" Dean added, causing both Sam and Kim to look up. Kim moved over to him, standing near Sam.

"You were with the angel?" she asked, referring to the time he was away. He didn't respond.

"Cas said that if I don't stop you, he will. See what that means, Sam? That means that God doesn't want you doing this. So, are you just gonna stand there and tell me everything is all good?" Dean argued, looking at his brother as Sam avoided eye contact. With tearful eyes, they exchange a look before Sam looked back down. There was a silence as they all took in the information that was thrown around the room, Sam's phone rang.

"Hello?" Sam pinched the bridge of his nose. "Hey, Travis. Yeah, hey- It's good to hear your voice, too, yeah. Um, look, it's not a really good time right now. It's– Yeah, okay. Uh, well, just give me the details, and, uh... Carthage, Missouri." They watched as Sam moved over to write down an address, "Looking for Jack Montgomery." Sam put down the pen and hung up the phone, before breathing deeply and looking over to the two of them. Kim sighed and rubbed her eyes.

"Looks like we have a job to do," Kim sighed before she began to pack, the boys following.

•※•

The Impala zoomed down the road, silence filled the car. No one had said a word after Dean explained his disappearance, explaining how Castiel had sent him back in time to stop Azazel from feeding Sam his blood, after which Cas told Dean that it couldn't have been changed anyway. It was meant to happen.

He explained about Mary, their mother, how beautiful and young she was. Their precious, innocent mother, a hunter, destroyed by her veil career. Their grandfather and grandmother, Samuel and Deanna were also hunters. Dean told them about them, stories, descriptions. He spoke with such admiration about them, about her. They spoke of John as if he was weak. They spoke of him when he wasn't a hunter. When he wasn't the respected, feared hunter he was when he died. Kim listened as if they were her own family.

"I can't believe it. Mom, a hunter?" Sam gasped in awe as Dean finished his story.

"I wouldn't have believed it either if I hadn't seen it myself. That woman could kick some ass. I mean, she almost took me down," Dean said proudly.

"How'd she look? I mean... was she happy?" Sam asked instantly.

"Yeah, she was awesome. Funny and smart. So hopeful," he admitted, looking to Sam for a moment before looking back at the road, "Dad, too. Until of course..." Dean said as Sam sighed, looking down, "What?"

"Nothing," he muttered, looking out the window. Dean waited a few moments, looking in the mirror to see Kim, sitting in the back, looking back at him.

"It's just, our parents. And now we find out our grandparents too? Our whole family murdered and for what? So Yellow Eyes could get in my nursery and bleed in my mouth?" Sam said, completely oblivious to the information he had just blurted. Kim and Dean both looked at him in a state of confusion.

"Sam, I never said anything about demon blood," Dean told a guilty looking Sam, "You knew about that?" Dean asked shocked, his anger starting to build again.

"Yeah, for about a year," Sam replied, ashamed. Kim was in the back, in a complete state of shock. She had no idea what they were talking about.

"What?" she asked.

"Azazel fed Sam his blood, that's why he has powers–" Dean said quickly to get Kim's question out if the way, "A whole year?"

"I should have told you. I'm sorry," Sam admitted sadly, looking sad.

"You've been saying that a lot lately, Sam. But whatever. You don't want to tell me, you don't have to. It's fine," Dean replied passively, looking at Kim for a mere second before turning back to the road.

"Dean," Sam said, looking over to Dean who was focusing on the road. He looked over his shoulder to Kim, who was looking outside her side window.

"Whatever."


	41. Chapter Thirty-Nine

The Impala was parked outside the address Sam had written down. A homely house with a clean garden and a picket fence, something extremely common in that neighbourhood. Kim stared into the house from the back seat of the Impala watching the brightly light kitchen from afar. A young man stood by the fridge and grabbed a beer.

"Are you sure that's him?" Dean asked Sam as he stared through the binoculars.

"Seems pretty chill to me. What's his problem anyway?" Kim shrugged as Sam squinted to get a better look.

"Only Jack Montgomery in town," Sam repelled, "Travis said to keep an eye out for anything weird."

"Weird? So we have no idea what we're dealing with or if it is anything?" Kim replied, looking at Sam who looked a little sheepish.

"Yeah,"

"All right, well, yeah, I've seen big weird, little weird, weird with crazy on top. But this guy? I mean, come on, this guy's boring," Dean added, gesturing to the guy inside.

"I don't know, Dean. Travis seemed pretty sure." Sam took the binoculars from him. Kim sighed dramatically as they all watched the man drink his beer.

"You have to admit, this is kinda creepy," Kim scoffed as she rolled her eyes, breaking her gaze for only a few seconds before they drifted back to spying.

"Shut up," Dean laughed slightly, reaching over to lightly slap Kim's knee. All eyes were on Jack again within a few seconds, just in time to view Jack shovelling a piece of chicken into his mouth with his bare hands. Ripping the flesh clean from its bone before he chucked it aside and moved back to the fridge. Chicken grease and seasoning covered his hands and mouth as he reached for a packet of raw mince meat. Ripping the packet open, he scooped the meat into his mouth and messily eat it. Raw meat dropped from his mouth as he chewed open-mouthed, saliva dripping off his into a puddle on the floor. The three of them watched, gasped in horror at the sight of him eating so viciously. Kim sighed, swallowing her last words.

"I'd say that qualifies as weird," Sam breathed as they stared at the man.

•※•

Walking into their motel room, they didn't expect to see a figure sitting at the table in the darkness. Kim stiffened immediately and stopped walking, causing Dean who was following her inside to softly bump into her. Turning to look at Dean, she saw a smile on his face as Sam turned on the lights.

"Travis," Sam smiled, walking up to him. Travis was sitting at the table, beer in hand.

"See, Sam. Told you we should have hidden the beer," Dean laughed. Travis got up with a smile on his face. He was an older man, older than most hunters live. He got up and walked to the boys, his eyes scanning over them all, even Kim.

"Smartass. Get over here," Travis laughed hugging Dean, "Ahh, good to see you."

"You too," Dean smiled as the broke their hug. Travis moved to hug Sam.

"Good to see you."

"You too, Travis," Sam replied as they break their hug. Stepping back, Travis looked up at Sam.

"Man, you got tall, kid," he laughed as they all did. "How long has it been?" Travis asked as Sam looked for his answer, a smile still on his lips.

"Ah, gotta be 10 years," Sam nodded.

"You still a.. oh, what was it... a mathlete?" Sam scoffed a little as Kim and Dean laughed slightly.

"No," Sam assured.

"Yep, sure is," Dean smirked as Kim huffed a laugh.

"Been too long, boys. I mean, look at you. Grown men. John would have been damn proud of you," he said nodding at them. He then turned to Kim, who was between Sam and Dean, "And which one of you scored a girl like her in a life like this?" he asked slyly, shaking Kim's hand. A small smirk appears on her lips at his comment.

"Neither," she smirked, shaking his hand firmly. "Name's Kim."

"Travis," he replied. "Firm handshake," he commented before looking back to the boys and raised an eyebrow. "Well, it's good you're sticking together like this."

"Yeah. Yeah, we're as thick as thieves," Dean said slyly sarcastically, looking at Sam who's smile had disappeared, "Nothing more important than family." Nodding, Travis walked back over to the table, Dean followed as did Kim.

"Sorry I'm late for the dance," Travis said, the three of them sitting at the table, Sam walking over, sitting on the bed near the table, "Thanks for helping out an old man. I'm a little, uh, shorthanded," he laughed, gesturing to his right hand that was plastered in a cast, "So, you track down Montgomery?"

"Yeah, we found him at his home," Sam replied nodding.

"And?"

"Well, he had a hell of a case of the munchies, topped off with a burger he forgot to cook," Dean scoffed.

"That's him all right," Travis sighed and nodded as the three of them stood around still confused to what he was.

"What's him?"

"Boys, we got a rougarou on our hands," he replied simply as he took a sip of his beer.

"A rougarou?" Dean asked, looking over to Kim who nodded her head along with Travis. A sigh of realisation escaped her lips.

"That makes sense, I thought he might have been a wendigo," Kim replied.

"Close, but not quite. He's definitely a rougarou," Travis nodded.

"Is that made up?" Dean asked, "That sounds made up."

"They're mean, nasty little suckers. Rotted teeth, wormy skin, the works," Travis continued as Dean huffed in agreement.

"Well, that ain't this guy. I mean, he was wearing a cell phone on his belt," Dean scoffed.

"He'll turn ugly soon enough. They start out human, for all intents and purposes."

"So, what? They go through some kind of metamorphosis?"

"Yep, like a maggot turning into a bull fly. But most of all–" he paused looking at them, "–they're hungry."

"At first, for everything, but then... for long pig." Sam and Kim exhaled at his words. Dean looked at them confused, unsure of what that meant.

"Long pig?" Dean asked.

"Human flesh," Kim commented.

"And that is my word of the day," Dean coiled.

"–till they can't fight it," Travis continued. There was a silence in the room as they precession the seriousness of that monster.

"What happens?" Sam asked interestingly.

"They transform completely and fast One bite's all it takes. Eyes, teeth, skin; all turns. No going back either. They feed once, they're a monster forever. And our man Jack's headed there on a bullet train." Travis looked from Sam to Kim, who was nodding along to the information.

"Well, how'd you find this guy if he's a walking, talking human?" Dean asked.

"Let's just say it runs in his family,"

"You mean, uh..." Sam stuttered.

"Killed his daddy back in '78. Son of a bitch mangled 8 bodies before I put him down. Guy used to be a dentist. Cadillac, trophy wife... Little did I know, pregnant trophy wife. She put the boy up for adoption. By the time I found out, he was long gone, lost in the system," Travis explained.

"You mean to tell me you couldn't find someone?" Sam asked.

"I'm not sure I wanted to. The idea of hunting down some poor kid... I don't think I'd have the heart. No. I wanted to wait, make damn sure I had the right man. Apparently, I do." He took a swig of the beer and sighed. With a single nod between them, Dean and Kim reached for their equipment as Sam exited the room. Dean saw Kim dig through her bag and watched as she pulled out her fire gun.

"So fire, huh?" Dean smirked as he watched Kim prepare her fire gun. Travis nodding in astonishment surprised such a young looking hunter knew how to kill a monster the Winchester hadn't even heard of; little did he know that it wasn't the first time.

"Yup, go grab the gas cans," she smirked.

"The only way I found to kill these bastards; deep-fry 'em," Travis nodded in approval.

"Well, that's gonna be... horrible. Is that what you did to Jack's dad?" Dean asked as he grabbed out cans from the bag and prepared them.

"Uh-huh," Travis nodded as Sam entered the room again, taking a seat at the table next to Dean papers in his hands.

"Not wasting any time, are you?" Sam sighed as he watched Kim stare down the fire guns barrel before holding it at arm's length and fixing its aim.

"None to waste. The guy hulks out, we won't be finding bodies, just remains," Travis assured as Dean grabbed another gas can.

"What if he doesn't hulk out? I did a little homework. Uh, I've been checking out the lore on rougarous," Sam continued as he slightly gestured to his papers. Kim looked from her fire gun to Sam before quickly switching to Dean before Sam could catch her eye. A sigh from Dean could be heard as Travis shifted to a bit.

"What? My 30 years of experience not good enough for you?" Travis asked slightly irritated.

"What? No. No, I-I- I just wanted to be prepared. I mean, not that you didn't..." Sam continued to stutter before Dean cut him off.

"Sam loves research. He does. He keeps it under his mattress right next to his KY. It's a sickness," Dean interrupted.

"Dean," Sam sighed.

"It is," Dean shrugged.

"Sam, he ate raw meat. He's in the middle of turning, the gene had surfaced," Kim continued, not bothering to look up form her preparation.

"Look, everything you said checked out, of course, but uh. I found a couple of interesting stories about people who have this rougarou gene or whatever. See, they start to turn, but they never take the final step," Sam continued.

"Really?" Dean asked.

"See, if they never eat human flesh, they don't fully transform," Sam explained.

"So what? Go vegan, stay human?" Dean asked.

"Basically. Or in this case, eat a lot of raw meat, just not..."

"Long pig," Dean shivered.

"Right," Sam acknowledged. Dean looked to Kim which a smile but she didn't seem convinced, same as Travis. Kim was brought up to believe that all risen monster genes would come full form eventually and was taught that if death is your cue to attack, you're too late.

"Good on you for the due diligence, Sam." Travis got up for his seat. "But those are fairy tales. Fact is, every rougarou I ever saw or heard of... took that bite." Sam was not convinced.

"Okay, well, that doesn't mean that Jack will," Sam urged, which only irritated Travis more.

"So what do we do? Sit and hope and wait for a body count?" Travis sassed.

"No, we talk to him. Explain what's happening. That way he can fight it." Travis scoffed at his remark.

"Fight it?" Travis scoffed a laugh. "Are you kidding me? You ever been really hungry?" he interrogated leaning over Sam which quickly got Dean's attention who had been looking at the papers Sam had brought in. "I mean, haven't-eaten-in-days hungry?"

"Yeah," Dean nodded.

"Yeah. Right then. So somebody slaps a big, juicy piece of meat in front of you, you walking away?" Travis asked suspiciously. Dean looked thoughtful for a second, as did Kim as they both thought of their answer. Silently he admitted he didn't.

"I like bacon," Kim shrugged after Sam sent her a look.

"That's what we are to him now, meat on legs. I'm sorry. I'm sure he's a stand-up guy, but it's pure base instinct. Everything in nature's gotta eat. You think he can stop himself 'cause he's nice?"

"I don't know. But we're not gonna kill him unless he does something to get killed for," Sam insisted firmly. Travis was utterly shocked before looking at Dean and Kim. Sam sighed irritably and walked out of the room, his research with him.

"What's up with your brother?" Travis asked raising an eyebrow. Dean watched Sam leave before looking at Travis.

"Don't get me started," he sighed. Travis eyed him cautiously before turning to Kim eager to get her side of the situation.

"What about you?" he asked and Kim finally put her gun down to look Travis directly in the eyes.

"If you wait for someone's death as a clue, you're too late."

•※•

The three of them sat in the Impala on the drive towards Jake's house, a silence filled the car until someone spoke.

"All right, so we're gonna go have a little chat with this guy which, you know... I'm down," Dean said unconvincingly. Sam just sat quite you in the passenger seat as Kim shuffled in the back. Dean's eyes flashed to her, she hadn't notice being too busy looking out the window. "But I just want to make sure, if push comes, you're gonna shove." Sam finally looked over to Dean and paid some attention, slightly irritated by his comment.

"Meaning?" he asked annoyingly which irritated Kim.

"It means if he steps out of line, we're not holding back," Kim intervened. "This guy has already started pushing."

"This guy has a name and a wife," Sam said disgustedly.

"Yeah, who we're probably gonna make a widow, okay? I mean, you heard Travis. He's gonna turn. They always turn," Dean ordered.

"Well, maybe he won't. Maybe he can fight it off," Sam persisted.

"And maybe he can't, that's all I'm saying."

"All right, we'll just have to see then, okay?" Sam betted as Dean sent Sam a look as Kim listened form the back.

"This is what I mean, Sam. You sure your emotions aren't getting in the way here?" Dean pointed out. Sam looked at his brother confused, not sure what he was talking about.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know, nice dude, but he's got something evil inside. Something in his blood. Maybe you can relate," Dean suggested, bringing up something Sam was trying to block. Kim listened uncomfortably in the back knowing it was a touchy subject for Sam and herself, although the brothers seem to forget that about her. Looking in the mirror, Kim got a small gimps of Sam's expression, he did not look happy. Anger and fury had taken over his face and emotions, clouding his mind as Dean's words repeated in Sam's mind.

"Stop the car," Sam ordered hastily.

"What?"

"Stop the car or I will!" Sam yelled testily. Quickly, the brothers shared a look and Dean pulled over, doing as his brother said. Just as the car came to a halt, Sam immediately jumped out of the car and began to walk off. Quick in pursuit, Kim and Dean followed.

"Sam! Come on! You're acting like a child!" Kim yelled after him but he completely ignored her as if she was never there; by now, she was used to it.

"You want to know why I've been lying to you, Dean? Because of crap like this," Sam yelled as he turned around to his brother before walking off.

"Like what?" Dean asked angrily.

"The way you talk to me, the way you look at me like I'm a freak!" he spat, his eyes darted to Kim to looked him dead in the eyes, holding an expression he couldn't read.

He hadn't forgotten.

"I do not," Dean scoffed as his brother pushed past him.

"You know, or even worse, like I'm an idiot!" Sam walked up to Dean, getting in his face. "Like I don't know the difference between right and wrong!" He stepped back, a face full of pure rage. He could feel it rising in him. He walked away from Dean, but only took a few steps before turned back around and faced Dean and Kim. Dean looked down and Kim stayed silent, she knew better than to intervene with one of the boys' feud. "What?" Sam spat. Dean looked back up looking angrier than he did before. With his head lowly hung and his eyes staring dangerously at Sam.

"Do you know the difference, Sam? I mean, you've been kind of strolling a dark road lately," Dean seethed sarcastically, his insult seemed to roll of his tough perfectly

"You have no idea what I'm going through. None," Sam yelled angrily, in a fit of rage.

"Then enlighten me!"

"I've got demon blood in me, Dean! This disease pumping through my veins, and I can't ever rip it out or scrub it clean! I'm a whole new level of freak! And I'm just trying to take this- this curse... and make something good out of it. Because I have to, otherwise I'm just another monster," Sam yelled in a blur, a rush of weight lifted from his shoulders as he told his brother the responsibility he held-to fight the blood.

There was a silence where Sam looked down, waiting for some remark from Dean telling him to suck it up, but it never came. The silence continued for a few moments before Kim spoke, finally finding the peace to get her word out.

"I think Andy was proof that that's not true," she said loudly, swaying confidently on her feet. Sam looked up, about to protest. "But it's also your job, you know? No hunter doesn't kill." Sam stayed silent, not able to argue with her point. Dean looked at her and nodded once in thanks.

"Let's just go talk to Jack. Okay?" Dean suggested as Kim started to walk towards Baby. After a few moments, Sam gave a small, almost non-existent nod but didn't look at Dean.

•※•

Sam, Kim and Dean walked up to Jack as he watered his plants. The three of them agreed to chat with him in hopes that he wouldn't commit to eating human flesh; although Kim's hopes weren't high.

"Jack Montgomery?" Jack didn't Gruen around straight away, it took him a while to notice their presence; Kim's first sign that he was already over the line. After a few minutes, he turned to face them. "I'm Sam Winchester. This is my brother; Dean and our colleague; Kim," Sam introduced. "We need to talk." Jack looked around for a bit, looking between the three of them for a moment.

"About?" he questioned.

"About you. About how you're changing."

"Excuse me?"

"You're probably feeling your bones move under your skin. And your appetite's reaching, you know, 'hungry-hungry hippo' levels. How am I doing so far?" Dean asked, cutting straight to the point. Jack looked between them astonished.

"Who the hell are you guys?"

"We're people who know a little something about something," Kim instructed.

"We're people who can help. Please, just hear us out," Sam said but Jack was utterly confused and appalled by their blunt behaviour.

"A- a what?" he stammered.

"A rougarou. Sounds made-up, I know, but believe me, it's not," Dean replied.

"All right," Jack said looking around cautiously. "I've noticed certain things. I mean, some strange things. But I just, I- I don't know. I'm... I'm sick or something."

"Your father was one, too," Kim added, causing Jack to turn to her "Your real father passed it down to you." Jack was viciously looking between them with the

"No. Are- are you guys listening to yourselves? You sound like you're-"

"Skip the whole 'you guys sound crazy', shall we? You're hungry, Jack. You're only gonna get hungrier," Dean hustled impatiently. Jack stopped and listened to him, he knew Dean was speaking the truth.

"Hungrier for?" he asked quickly.

"Long pig. You know, a little manburger helper, may have crossed your mind already," Dean continued, using his new word.

"It doesn't have to be like this, Jack. You can fight it off."

"No."

"Others have," Sam encouraged.

"We're not gonna lie to you, though. It's not gonna be easy. You're gonna feel like an alcoholic swimming around in whiskey. But I'm telling you. You gotta say no... or-" Dean stopped halfway through his sentence and Jack waited for a reply.

"Or what?" Jack asked desperately.

"You feed once, and it's all over. And then we'll have to stop you," Sam explained.

"Stop me? My dad, did uh, somebody stop him?" Jack asked, still trying to wrap his head around the whole situation. There was a silence between all four of them. It didn't seem like either of the boys wanted to give him the answer.

"Yes, he was stopped," Kim nodded bluntly, her hand on her hip and she stood in a casual position. Jack tensed up, just as expected and suddenly turned an angry shade of red.

"Get off my property right now. I see you guys again, I'm calling the cops." Jack yelled, pointing roughly into the distance. Kim shrugged, she knew this was going to happen. Giving a single look to Dean, she was the first to turn and leave, no point wasting her time even more.

"Jack, your wife, everybody you know, they're in danger." Sam tried to make him understand, the anger blocking his ration.

"Now!" There was a silence as Kim waited at the edge of the property for them to join her. With a disappointed sighed, Sam sent Jack one last look before turning around and leaving, Dean slapped his back one in reassurance as they met Kim near the road.

"We have to keep an eye on him," Kim instructed as they all started their walk back to the Impala. Kim looked to Sam for his answer and he just sighed.

"Yeah, I know."

•※•

The three of them had followed Jack after that. Not long after their talk had he decided to pack his things and hop in his car, driving anywhere away from his family. The three of them followed in the Impala, mostly silent, the hum of classic rock was the only thing to keep them occupied. Dean made sure to keep a few cars behind Jacks so that he didn't discover that they were following him, Kim was sure he had too many things on his mind anyway to worry about.

They followed him to a hotel room, where he got his stuff and got a room. They stayed in the Impala, waiting for him to make a move, it seemed like it was going to be a long night. Kim's fire gun was ready and prepared and she was quickly getting restless. There was only so many times she could polish her guns and knives without having the need to throw it at the car radio. Dean had his music playing 24/7 and she was quickly getting sick of it.

"Do you have any other music?" she asked irritated. Dean looked over his shoulder to her as she sat in the back, playing with her iron knife.

"What's wrong with classic rock?" he asked, slightly offended.

"Nothing, it's just irritating when you listen to one thing over and over again," she sassed, twirling the knife.

"I have one rule here-"

"One," Kim scoffed.

"Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts their cakehole," Dean ordered and he teasingly turned up the music, a cheeky grin upon his lips. Kim smirked and leaned forward so that they were face to face.

"Lucky for me, I'm not in shotgun," she smirked, sitting back, quite relaxed. She folded her arms over her chest she watched Dean shuffle a bit, but the grin never left his lips. He was about to say something in return when Sam sighed.

"Stop flirting, will you?" Sam sighed as she turned to Dean. Kim straightened up quickly and coughed awkwardly.

"That wasn't-"

"Yeah, no-"

"Why would I-"

"I'm going to the gas station down the street. Anyone want anything?" Kim said quickly, getting out of the Impala with her wallet. Neither of them said anything, so Kim shut the door and made her short walk to the gas station down the street. Only a few hundred meters away from the Impala, Kim walked in. The buzzer sounded as she walked through the door, letting the worker know someone had entered. Kim shuffled through the shelves, not sure what she wanted. She dragged her feet through the aisles making her way towards the snacks. Her eyes gazed the chip selection and she waited for time to pass. She didn't want to go back to the Impala so soon. After a while, she reached for a packet of chips along with a candy bar for Dean and a piece of fruit for Sam. Walking to the register, she placed the items on the bench as she grabbed her wallet from her pocket.

"Just these," she said, not looking up at the cashier as she handed them a ten dollar bill.

"Here you go ma'me," she heard a man's voice say. She looked up and smiled slightly, grabbing the bag and change from him before heading back to the Impala, but the boys weren't in there. She looked through the windows and she groaned; she was quite annoyed. The boys had taken her flame gun and left. Looking up, she saw the door of the building opposite Jack's swing, they must have gone in there.

Throwing the Impala door open, she grabbed her lighter and sprinted back to the gas station. Without a second thought, she grabbed a can of spry and chucked a few notes at the cashier. In a blur, she ran around the corner of the aisle and clipped her hip.

"Oh shit," she breathed as she ran towards the building, swinging open the door and letting herself in. Sprinting up the stairs she moved towards the sound of heavy footsteps and screaming when she was met with Sam and Dean laughing awkwardly in front of a broken door.

When Kim reached them she sighed, looking at the broken lock. They made eye contact with her and she groaned.

"What did you do?" she putting her lighter and can away. They shuffled a bit before Sam rubbed the back of his neck.

"Um... he wasn't there," Sam explained.

"What do you mean, he wasn't there?" Kim groaned. She never should have left the boys.

•※•

The three of them drove all the way back to Jack's house, to see if he want there. There was an awkward silence in the car; the classic rock still played. All three of them ate their snacks, Sam sneaked a few handfuls of Kim's chips into his mouth before she could react. As they pulled up in front of Jack's house, they noticed a light on.

"I guess now we know where Travis is," Dean muttered as they parked the car.

"That stupid son of a bitch," Sam breathed. the three moved to the porch after Kim got her flamethrower back. Looking through a few windows, Kim spotted Jack's wife tied up on a chair, gag in mouth. Quietly, Sam and Kim followed Dean around the back and into the house. Finding their way to the front living room of the house, where Kim spotted her tied up; a pool of blood staining the carpet. They stopped at the entrance to the living room. The chair Jack's wife was tied to had fallen on the floor, Jack and his wife weren't in the room. A trail of blood from the pool reached around from behind the couch.

Slowly, the three of them followed the trail of blood behind the couch, only to see a bloodied piece of flesh behind it. Kim scrunched her nose in disgust, the smell of long pig filled the air.

"Oh, God. Think that's Travis?" Dean gaged as Sam sighed.

"What's left of him," Sam sighed.

"Oh great," Kim huffed as she looked away, only to see Jack sneaking up behind Dean. "Dean!" she called, but he had jumped on him and shoved him to the floor. Dean struggled against his strength, but pushed him off, but Jack and smacked Dean's head against the floor; knocking him out. Sam and jumped into action, as did Kim, both of them fighting him. Kim got her flamethrower ready but Sam was in the way.

"Sam! Move!" she screamed, the aim of the thrower in their direction. Sam looked at Kim, but it only took Jack a split second to knock Sam out, both brothers lay on the floor unconscious. "Just perfect," she sighed as Jack marched towards her. Lighting the flamethrower he stumbled backwards. The flame stopped and she saw Jack cowering in the corner, away from the flame.

"We warned you, man. It only takes one bite," she sighed, exhausted. The heat from the flamethrower radiated off her skin, making her face red. A roll of sweat beaded from her forehead. She sighed, looking at the brothers that lay unconscious on the ground.

Within the second it took Kim to look a the boys, it took Jack to regain his balance and charge a Kim, knocking her to the ground. He was on top of her, his beady red eyes staring at her as a drop of saliva dropped on her skin. She cringed as she reached for something to hit him with. He had pinned her hands down as Kim's fingers reached for a fallen lamp. Grabbing it, she smacked it over his head but it did nothing. With a single wack, Kim was unconscious.

•※•

Kim woke up tied to a chair, Dean was lying unconscious on the coffee table and Sam wasn't in sight but she could hear him. Her vision was kind of blurry, a fuzziness had erupted in her head from the blow to the ground. Blinking a few times, she began to see what was happening.

Jack was standing in front of Dean's body, his back facing them. He was turned towards a closet where Sam's voice was coming from. Checking to see if Dean was alive, she saw his chest moving up and down. With a quick sigh of relief, she believed it was better if she stayed quiet and listened to their conversation as she tried to wiggle out of the chair.

"Have you seen me lately?" Jack asked angrily as Kim tried to pull her hand out from the rope. She felt it rub against her writs.

"It doesn't matter what you are. It only matters what you do. It's your choice," Sam responded as Kim felt the rope heat up her skin. Biting her lips, she moved to dislocate her thumb, taking it out of her socket. She muffled a wince she pulled her first hand out from the rope. She watched, staying still as Jack grunted in pain, the hunger was taking over him. A jolt came from the closet Sam was in, but the door didn't budge, he couldn't get out. With a quick turn, Jack was over Dean, his mouth open hungrily. She quickly ripped out her other hand and lunged for him, sending him falling away from Dean. Kim charged for the flamethrower but it was quickly taken out of her hands. A punch flew directly towards Kim's face and hit her straight in the nose. She stumbled back as Jack crawled on top of her, his mouth open hungrily. With a quick kick, he was sent off of her and onto the floor. Kim scrambled for the flamethrower, but a hand grabbed her leg, sending her to the floor. Jack was pulling her towards him as Sam burst through the closet door with a flamethrower in his hand. He aimed it for Jack but Kim was in the way, he was holding her in front of him. Suddenly, she threw an elbow directly into his gut and she spun is around so that Kim was holding him in front of her. She could feel him trying to lunge for Sam, she knew she had to hold him still.

"Do it Sam!" she screamed, struggling to stop him. With each jolt towards Sam, she lost grip.

"You'll get burnt!" he hesitated.

"Hurry up Sam! Do it!" she screamed. She kicked him behind his knee to stop him from wiggling as Sam set open flame to Jack. The flame charged towards Kim and Jack as Kim covered her head behind Jack's body. She screamed, her fingers bubbling from the heat of holding him still. She held him for a second longer before she was certain he wouldn't fight back. Letting him go, he fell to the floor on fire, screaming until he died.

Jack was dead as Kim shielded her fingers. Slowly, she looked at her shaking hand. All of her fingers and most of her hand was burnt, her skin was melted and bubbling, blood pooled form them. She let out a shaky breath of pain, unable to move her fingers. Sam looked at her slowly, his eyes filled with defeat. She knew how much he wanted to save him, but she knew that wouldn't be the outcome. Cravings are cravings.

Dean had lifted his head to see the death of Jack and had made his way behind Kim, she hadn't noticed him sneak up.

"Kim," he breathed from behind her, his eyes staring at her hands. She flinched, something she never did, but the paralyzing of her fingers made her uncomfortably vulnerable.

"It's fine. I'll put some ice on them and ill be better by tomorrow," she sighed, trying to move them, but they wouldn't budge. She swallowed a lump in her throat, shielding her hands away from Sam and Dean's eyes.

•※•

They were in the Impala, Kim sat in the back as she stuck her fingers in a bucket of ice. They were burning as if the fire was still on them. The boys had decided the best thing to do was to go to Bobby, see if he could help. Kim was in too much pain to protest, although she knew he couldn't do anything. She was burnt and would be lucky if she could ever feel her fingers again. Every now and then, Dean would ask if Kim was all right.

"You did the right thing, you know. That guy was a monster, there was no going back." Dean told Sam as he looked down, still ashamed he killed a man. Sam didn't respond. There was a silence as Dean coughed awkwardly. "Sam, I wanna tell you I'm sorry. I've been kind of hard on you lately," Dean said unexpectedly. Sam lifted his head to see Dean.

"Don't worry about it, Dean."

"It's just that your, uh, your psychic thing, it scares the crap out of me," Dean said, looking at Kim slightly. She met his gaze before quickly looking away. She knew that the boys hadn't forgotten, everything was just getting more confusing.

"Look, if it's all the same... I'd really rather not talk about it," Sam sighed as he looked over to Dean who had a simple smile on his lips.

"Wait a minute. What? You don't want to talk? You?" Sam didn't reply to the 'joke'.

"There's nothing more to say. I can't keep explaining myself to you. I can't make you understand."

"Why don't you try?"

"I can't. Because this thing, this blood, it's not in you the way it's in me. It's just something I got to deal with," Sam sighed.

"Not alone," Dean added but Sam didn't reply. He just looked out the passenger window and sighed.

" Anyway, it doesn't matter. These powers... it's playing with fire. I'm done with them," Sam said as Kim and Dean sighed with relief. "I'm done with everything."

"Really?" Dean asked, looking at Sam, who didn't meet his gaze. With a nod, Dean looked back to the road. "Well, that's a relief. Thank you."

"Don't thank me. I'm not doing it for you. Or for the angels or for anybody. This is my choice." Sam sighed as he kept his gaze away from Dean. Kim bit her tongue to stop her from wincing and interrupting their 'chick flick moment' but the pain had become unbearable and a pain filled groan escaped her lips.

"I can't believe you did that," Dean scoffed angrily, looking at Kim through the mirror.

"He was going to get Sam and I didn't have a flamethrower," It was no excuse, she knew what she did was stupid, but she was afraid that if she hadn't held him down, he would have lunged for Sam and he wouldn't have had the guts to set him alight in time.

"So what? You sacrifice your hand?" he scoffed. "What next?" There was a silence as the classical music filled the air, taunting Kim as she lost feeling in her hand.

"I'll die if I have to," she breathed, her words getting lost in the rhythm of the music.


	42. Chapter Forty

Dean made one call and they were on their way to Bobby's where he fumbled over Kim as he treated her wounds, but not before a traditional scolding. After a few hours and a few tubes of burn creams, Kim started to move her fingers again; a stiff twitch which cracked her dead skin as she moved. The day turned into night, a day turned into a week and Dean released the news to Kim.

"Sam and I found a hunt a few hours from here," Dean told her and Kim scoffed.

"Yeah, I get it. Leave me here while you hunt, blah, blah, blah," she brushed off. Dean just sighed and grabbed his bag, Sam walking up behind him, both ready to go.

"We'll be back soon, okay?" Sam insured as Kim nodded once, her fingers too uncomfortable to argue.

"Yeah, I get it."

Kim stayed at Bobby's for another few weeks or so while Sam and Dean hunted; Dean had called in a few times. Bobby had a full-time job trying to make sure Kim didn't get up and ruin her finger any more than they already were. After a few days, Kim finally told Bobby that she couldn't feel her finger. Expectedly, Bobby just nodded with his usual gruff expression and went on about his business; Kim grew extremely bored and without complete movement in her fingers, it was hard to even turn a page.

After a month, she began to move her fingers more and her stiff twitching turned into full movements. Yes, it hurt and yes, they were still stiff. The red, flesh colour of her fingers hadn't changed and the boils and blisters were not completely healed, but it was enough to start doing things. With a sigh of relief, she got up and found Bobby; although her fingers were red and patchy, her mobility was good as new which means she could hunt again.

"Can you feel your finger though?" Bobby asked after showing him her fingers.

"Nope, nothing," she informed as she continued moving her fingers, the feeling of hopelessness disappearing with every twitch of her fingers. Bobby sighed and grabbed her hand tightly, pinching her even, but she couldn't feel a thing.

"You've burnt the nerves in your hands," Bobby sighed. "You won't be able to feel anything you touch." Kim stood still as Bobby squeezed her hands. She watched as he traced a gentle infer from her burst fingers to the upper part of her arm and just as his fingers traced over the line between burnt and fresh skin, she could feel the gentle trail he started. She swallowed a lump in her throat, her eyes moved down to her red, patchy hands.

"So," she scoffed casually, a lie Bobby seemed to detect. "As long as I can move them I can still hunt."

"It's not a blessing Kim," Bobby scoffed at her nonchalant attitude towards the whole situation.

"Nothing in this life is. I just spent my twenty-first birthday on a couch and instead of getting drunk like I originally planned, I spent my day trying to move my fingers," Kim scoffed as she threw her arms about. Now that she had full mobility back, she was taking advantage of it.

Twenty-one?" Bobby asked a bit ashamed that he didn't know it was her birthday.

"Yeah, now I can legally drink my life away instead of having Ellen and Dean breathing down my neck."

"Well don't start counting your blessing's now. You still can't feel your fingers and you're acting if it's nothing. You're allowed to be upset you know," Bobby encouraged, but she shook her head slowly as the weight in her body got heavier.

"Nope, I'm good," she said, grabbing her duffel bag, only feeling it as she swung it over her shoulder. "I'm gonna find Sam and Dean." She took out her phone and enabled Sam's tracker that she may or may not have put there after she got her knife back from Sam.

Her car was still at Bobby's so she thought it was a good excuse to go for a drive; the eternal numbness in her fingers hadn't bothered her for the past few days. Grabbing her keys she made her way outside and towards her dusty car she had been longing to drive, only when she started fiddling with the keys did she realised that their natural chilliness was missing, along with the familiar ridged edges. Stopping as she walked, right before her car, she looked down to her keys and ran her finger of the rough part of the key and felt nothing. No one would think they'd miss the feeling of keys.

Sighing, she shook her head and marched to her car, popping the keys into the ignition. Her hands made their way to the steering wheel but the numbness covered her fingers like a blanket. Softly draping her fingers over the wheel, she had already forgotten the leather feeling on her fingertips as she drove.

Starting the car, she looked back at Bobby who stood at the entrance of his house, watching her with a face full of pity. Licking her lips, she looked back to the road, she didn't want anyone's pity. Griping the wheel harshly, she started driving.

The road was unusually quiet for that time of day but she had a while to herself, a while to think. As the drive got longer, her thoughts got deeper.

Never would she be able to feel the keys on a keyboard as she researched; or the temperature of the shower just by sticking her hand in; or the softness as she dragged her hand through her hair; or the ring Jo gave her; or the necklace she took off Ash; or the skin of her first child.

She missed the feeling of everything she touched; something she had overlooked much throughout her life, as did everyone else.

•※•

By the time she had found the boys, the day turned into night and she was thankful to say that they were at a motel only a five-minute drive more.

Parking her car into an empty parking spot, she followed the tracker to the exact room they were in. With a knock on the door, she was expected to be met with a gun to the face and a mean expression. It took a while for the boys to answer the door, and when Dean had, she could see Sam standing beside the door with a gun in his hand; just in case.

"I can see you, Sam," she said as she walked in, a fake smile on her lips. Although none of her smiles were relativity big, this one is smaller than usual.

"Hey Kim, what are you doing here?" Sam asked as his eye automatically went to her hands, which she hid in her pockets.

"Thought I'd help on the case," she shrugged, taking a seat in a chair.

"And, uh, how are your hands?" Sam asked as Dean listened closely. Kim shrugged again.

"Not bad, I can move them but they're still blotchy," she shrugged as the boys sighed disappointingly. She gave them a weird look and scoffed. "What?"

"Bobby told us that you've burnt your nerves," Dean explained as Kim cursed under her breath.

"I mean, it's not like it wasn't expected. What do you think is gonna happen to a burnt hand? It's not a big deal-"

"Not that big of a deal! Are you serious?" Dean asked angrily, marching towards her and pulling one hand out of her pocket and holding it in his. She couldn't tell if he was squeezing her hand or not, she couldn't feel his touch. "You can't feel that, can you?" he asked but she ripped her hand out of his instantly.

"Just because I can't feel my hands doesn't mean I can't kick your ass," she warned. "Let's talk about this stupid hunt, okay?"

Oh sure, so we're just going to avoid the situation?" Dean spat.

"Like always," Kim assured, gesturing for Sam to change the subject and explain the hunt.

"Yeah sure, okay, um well, Halloween is tomorrow and some Halloween related deaths have occurred. One guy died by eating four razor blades in a piece of candy and another died bobbing for apples in a boiling pot of water, which apparently wasn't boiling when she stuck her head in. At each scene, we've found a hex bag. We've checked the victims and both are squeaky clean," Sam explained.

"There is no reason for a wicked bitch payback," Dean said as he looked back at his laptop.

"Maybe cause it's not about that," Sam continued as Dean gave him a questioning look.

"Wow, insightful," Dean sassed.

"Maybe this witch isn't working the grudge, maybe they're working a spell. Check this out," Sam said as he moved back to the book he was reading before Kim had knocked on the door. Kim looked at the book as Sam read from it. "Three blood sacrifices over three days, the last before midnight on the final day of the final harvest. Celtic Calendar, the final day of the final harvest is October 31st." Sam handed Dean the book as Kim followed it, still reading.

"So Halloween is the next sacrifice?" Kim asked as she looked up.

"Exactly."

"What exactly are the, uh, blood sacrifices for?" Dean asked.

"Uh, if I'm right, this witch is summoning a demon, and not just any demon – Samhain," Sam explained as both Kim and Dean shrugged, looking to each other.

"Am I supposed to be impressed?" dean asked with an unsatisfied shrug.

"Dean, Samhain is the damn origin of Halloween. The Celts believe that October 31st was the one night of the year when the veil was the thinnest between the living and the dead, and it was Samhain's night. I mean, masks were put on to hide from him, sweets left on doorsteps to appease him and faces were carved into pumpkins to worship him. He was exorcised centuries ago," Sam explained.

"Sounds gruesome," Kim cringed.

"So even though Samhain took a trip downstairs, the tradition stuck," Dean added.

"Exactly, only now instead of demons and blood orgies Halloween is all about kids, candy and costumes."

"That's a pretty drastic change," Kim scoffed. "So some witch wants to raise this guy so that Halloween is returned to its origin?"

"Yeah, we're talking heavyweight witchcraft. This ritual can only be performed every six hundred years," Sam continued.

"And of course this Halloween is the sixth-hundred year rolls around tomorrow, right?" Sam nodded. "Great."

"Well it sure is a lot of death and destruction for one demon," Dean said as he flipped the page of the book revealing a picture of daemons and killing masses.

"That's because he likes company. Once he's raised, Samhain can do some raising of his own."

"Raising what, exactly?"

"Dark, evil crap and lots of it, I mean, they follow him around like the friggin' Pied Piper," Sam scoffed.

"So we're dealing with zombies, ghosts and all sorts of shit?" Kim asked.

"Yep,"

"Leprechauns?" Dean asked as Sam sighed annoyed.

"Dean-"

"Those little dudes are scary. Small hands." Dean shivered in disgust.

"Look, it just starts with ghosts and ghouls, this sucker keeps on going, by night's end we are talking every awful thing we have ever seen. Everything we fight, all in one place," Sam sighed. His brother didn't seem to get the drastic measures of this guy.

"It's gonna be a slaughterhouse," Dean nodded, getting quite serious as he looked to Kim, a dead expression on her face.

•※•

It was day and Dean had gone out to stake out the Wallace house, the place where they found the first victim while Sam and Kim continued research. Sam was sitting opposite Kim, both having laptops in front of them. Kim typed away, surprisingly easy considering she couldn't tell when she was typing the keys.

Every now and then, a small curse would escapade Kim's lips. Although easier than she thought it would be, it was still quite difficult. It was just something she had to get used to. Sam would look up from his laptop whenever she cures to be met with an irritated expression. Sometimes she would meet his gaze and he would quickly look away. Although he confronted Kim about the knife incident, and she said that she trusted him, he didn't know if she believed her; he was wise to question her word, for she didn't.

"I'm gonna call Dean," Sam said, taking out his phone and dialling his number.

"Hey," Dean said through the phone as Sam placed the phone on speaker.

"How's it going?"

"Awesome, yeah, I talked with Mrs Razor Blade again. I've been sitting out in front of her house for hours and I've got a big steamy pile of nothing," Dean scoffed.

"Look, Dean, someone planted those hex bags, someone with access to both houses. There's gotta be some connection."

"Yeah, well I hope we find 'em soon cause I'm starting to cramp like a -" Dean stopped mid-sentence. "Son of a bitch." Sam rolled his eyes.

"Quit whining."

"No, Sam, I mean, son of a bitch," and Dean hung up the phone.

•※•

"So, our apple bobbing cheerleader?" Sam asked as Dean walked into the motel.

"Tracy," Dean nodded as Kim listened to them, slightly confused.

"Who's Tracy?" she asked.

"The second victim's friend. She told me she never even heard of Luke Wallace. well, guess what, Wallaces' babysitter," Dean explained.

"Huh, interesting look for a centuries-old witch," Sam commented. Apparently, Tracy was an innocent looking, blond cheerleader with perfect skin and a perfect body.

"Yeah, well, if you were a six-hundred-year hag and you could pick any costume to come back in, wouldn't you go for a hot cheerleader?" Dean asked as he looked at Sam before wandering off into the distance. "I would, hmm..." Kim scoffed and looked at Dean as he looked lost in thought. Dean noticed her scoff and raised an innocent eyebrow at her.

"What?" Dean asked looking at Kim who was holding back a slight huffed laugh. "Jealous?" Kim scoffed.

"I'm pretty sure it's pronounced 'disgusted'," Kim laughed slightly as Dean smirked.

"Sure," Dean smirked.

"Well, Tracy's not as wholesome as she looks. Did some digging – apparently she got into a violent altercation with one of her teachers, got suspended from school," Sam interrupted as he moved in between Kim and Dean, showing them his laptop; a note.

"Student was suspended for a violent act on a teacher," Kim read out loud as they all looked at the address of the school.

•※•

It was school hours and the classroom was filled with teenagers doing their art project. the walls and ceiling were decorated with art projects the children had done the term before. As Dean and Kim entered the room all dressed up and professional, they were met with dandling masks from the roof; right in the centre was a bloody and distorted mask with hollowed eyes and frowned mouth. Dean stopped as he walked, his eyes glued to the mask. Kim kept walking until she saw he was behind her, her eyes landed on him staring at the mask. Furrowing her eyebrows, she nudged him.

"You good?" she asked, catching his attention as he ripped his eye off the mask. Kim's gaze swapped between him and the mask as he fumbled with his words; before he could answer Sam walked in, looking around at the artwork, his eyes completely gazed over that mask.

"Bring back memories?" Sam sighed as he looked at them, catching Dean off guard.

"What do you mean?" he asked hastily.

"Being a teenager, all that angst," Sam replied obviously, not really sure what Dean was talking about. Dean sighed in relief.

"Oh."

"What'd you think I meant?" Sam asked as Kim waited for an answer, an answer she believed she wasn't going to get.

"Nothing." Expected. Kim sighed as she looked further into the classroom, a teen boy was holding a sculpted bong as big as his torso over a waist-high kiln. Kim huffed as laugh as she watched him attempt to put his bong in there.

"Dude, I need a bigger kiln," he said as he looked for a place to put his heavy bong down while he thought of something to do.

"I would get a sever wack if I brought something like that back to Ellen's," Kim huffed as a single lined smile appeared over her lips. Just as the kid's eyes met Kim's the teacher walked over to them, a man in his mid-forties.

"You three wanna talk to me?" he asked kindly as he approached. Kim looked away from the bong child and gave her attention to the teacher.

"Ah, Mr Harding-"

"Oh, please, Don.," he corrects as he reaches to shake their hands. "Even my students call me Don."

"Yeah, we get it, Don." Dean nodded as they pulled out their badges.

"I'm agent Getty, this is Agent Lee and Smith. We just had a few questions about, uh, Tracy Davis," Dean informed Don.

"Uh, yeah, Tracy, uh, bright kid, loads of talent. It's a shame she got suspended," he replied.

"You two didn't seem to get along, did you?" Kim asked as she squinted her eyes.

"Yeah, she exploded. If Principal Murrow hadn't walked by when he did, Tracy would have clawed my eyes out."

"Why?"

"I, uh, you know, I was only trying to rap with her about her work. It had gotten inappropriate and disturbing," Don explained as Dean turned to Kim and raised an eyebrow.

"More disturbing, than, uh, those guys?" Dean asked as he pointed to the mask that halted him.

"She would cover page after page with these bizarre cryptic symbols, and then there were the drawings," Don continued. "Detailed images of killings, gory, primitive, and she would depict herself in the middle of them, participating." The three shared a look.

"Symbols, what kind of symbols? Uh, anything like this?" Sam asked as he pulled out an old coin from his pocket. Kim had never seen a coin like that before and was sure it would be ancient; it must have been in the hex bags.

"Yeah, yeah, I think that might have been one of them."

"You know where Tracy is now?" Dean asked quickly.

"I would imagine her apartment," don shrugged.

"Her apartment?" Kim questioned.

"Yeah, she got here about a year ago, alone, as I understood it, as an emancipated teen. God only knows what her parents were like."

•※•

It was the min afternoon and Kim and Dean had just pulled up in the Impala and parked right next to Kim's car outside the motel they were staying at. A few things had gone wrong so far with Kim's new experiences. She didn't know how much pressure to pull the car door open with and didn't even know if she was touching the car until she saw her hand was on the handle. Her eyes had to be wherever her hands were, and as a hunter, that was almost impossible. All scenes needed to be intact and functioning at full capacity to be a hunter, even the overlooked scenes such as touch. Daily tasks had proven to be difficult if she wasn't focusing on it. Both of them got out of the car and met with Sam who was already there.

"So?" Dean asked Sam, expecting to get better results than they got.

"Tracy was nowhere I could find. Any luck with her friends?"

"Nah, luck is not our style. Her friends don't know where she is. It's like the bitch popped a broomstick," Dean said as Kim huffed a laugh, they walked towards their motel room. Sam opened the door and entered first; immediately taking out his gun. He moved forward in an offensive stance, gun out and aimed, ready to attack. Kim saw a figure sitting in a chair in their motel as she felt for her gun in her waistband but she could feel anything; she had to look away from the person to find it.

"Who are you?!" Sam yelled deeply, holding the gun up. The figure in the chair was obviously male and had no effect by Sam's gun or his yelling. Held her gun up and aimed before dean quickly pushed it down, before rushing to Sam and doing the same.

"Sam! Sam, wait! It's Castiel," Dean yelled, putting a hand on Sam's gun tilting it down. Sam stopped immediately and stood there, completely stunned. He watched in utter awe as Castiel stood up. His vessel was inches smaller than Sam but his expression hinted no sign of submission. His posture was beyond perfect and his expression always seemed to hold a firm stance of slight and simple rage; lined lips and furrowed eyebrows. "The angel." Dean spotted another figure by the motel window, furthest away from them but Sam hadn't noticed, too stunned by Castiel. "Him, I don't know."

Castiel faced Sam with his usual expression as Sam stood there, eyes wide in utter amazement.

"Hello, Sam," Castiel greeted simply. Sam's lips fell open but he didn't manage to say anything for a few seconds. His proof; his faith, stood before him.

"Oh my God – er – uh – I didn't mean to – sorry. It's an honor, really, I – I've heard a lot about you," Sam replied, it looked as if that simple reply took all the energy from him. Sam stepped forward with a wide smile on his lips; one of childlike wonder and held out his hand for Castiel. Castiel looked smoothly towards Sam's hand confused before slowly reaching out to him also, meeting his hand with Sam's.

"And I, you. Sam Winchester–" Castiel moved his other hand to meet with Sam's covering what was left of it and cupping it with a gentle grip. "The boy with the demon blood. Glad to see you've ceased your extracurricular activities."

"Let's keep it that way," an unfamiliar voice appeared from the man at the window.

"Yeah, okay, Chuckles," Dean nodded towards his and scoffed. Dean looked back to Castiel but his eyes were on Kim.

"Kimberly Harper," he greeted simply yet his eyes never leave hers; he holds a questioning expression. Kim shuffled back a bit, sure to keep her distance.

"Who's your friend?" Dean asked Castiel, causing him to tear his eye from Kim.

"This the raising of Samhain, have you stopped it?" Castiel asked, ignoring Dean irrelevant question.

"Why?" Dean asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"Dean, have you located the witch?" he asked again deeply. Dean shuffled, looking to Kim before answering.

"Yes, we've located the witch," Dean said.

"And is the witch dead?"

"No, but–" Sam stared.

"We know who it is," Dean said, not letting his brother make excuses for themselves; excuses they didn't need. Narrowing his eyes, Castiel walked over to the bedside table slowly and pulled out another hex bag.

"Apparently the witch knows who you are too." Castiel held the bag up as the three of them looked to it, Kim cursed to herself. "This was inside the wall of your room. If we hadn't found it, surely one or all of you would be dead. Do you know where the witch is now?" Castiel accused as he threw the hex bag at them, Kim caught it with one hand and looked at it blankly.

"We're working on it," Dean said after a few moments of silence. A small and deep sigh escaped Castiel as he looked down.

"That's unfortunate," Castiel sighed disappointedly. Dean and Kim scoffed at him.

"What's it got to do with you?" Kim asked as she crossed her arms, unsure of why he looked so disappointed. Kim shuffled back a bit, sure to keep her distance.

"The raising of Samhain is one of the 66 seals," Castiel informed as he moved closer to the three of them; he moved with a particular legitimacy to him, a form of proper stalking.

"So this is about your buddy Lucifer?" Dean asked as he watched Castiel closely, very suspiciously.

"Lucifer is no friend of ours." Dean was quickly informed by the man over at the window.

"It's just an expression."

"Lucifer cannot rise. The breaking of the seal must be prevented at all costs," Castiel informed gravely.

"Okay, great, well now that you're here, why don't you tell us where the witch is, we'll gank her and everybody goes home," Dean said with a sarcastic smile with a shrug as he looked at Castiel, raising an eyebrow waiting for the information as Castiel stalked forward.

"We are not omniscient. This witch is very powerful, she's cloaked even our methods," Castiel informed.

"Wow, what a witch," Kim huffed.

"Okay, well we already know who she is, so if we work together–" Sam tried to explain but was quickly cut off by the man, he moved away from the window and moved to Castiel.

"Enough of this," he boomed as he moved closer. A thick man walked forward, his dark completion was illuminated by the shady motel light.

"Okay, who are you and why should I care?" Dean asked angrily as he threw his finger in his direction.

"This is Uriel, he's what you might call a... specialist," Castiel informed as Uriel moved towards them.

"Specialist of what? What are you planning?" Kim asked quickly.

"You – uh, you three – you need to leave this town immediately," Castiel told them sternly as he looked between Sam, Kim and Dean.

"Why her? She is just in the way," Uriel informed Castiel as if Kim wasn't in the room. He hadn't even bothered to look at her; her opinion was so insignificant to him. Kim scoffed at him, but the noise that she made such a lack of influence on him that he hadn't recognised she said anything at all. Kim looked to Dean and Sam, the feeling of being unwanted crept through her. A familiar feeling she would never admit to having.

"You have a–" Kim stared but was interrupted by Castiel talking.

"She is but that is not of importance right now," Castiel informed before looking at Kim, his eye switched to Dean.

"Why do we need to leave?"

"Because we're about to destroy it," Castiel clarified as he looked from Uriel to Dean. He was extremely serious even as Kim huffed a laugh, expecting him to laugh at his own joke; it wasn't a joke. There was a silence in the room as they all exchanged worried glances.


	43. Chapter Forty-One

"So this is your plan, you're gonna smite the whole frickin' town?" Dean asked angrily. His eyebrows furrowed and his face turned a slight shade of red as rage crept into his brain.

His anger was completely understandable. Angel, angelic being humans pray to for hope and salvation plan to destroy a whole town of believers. Innocent children whose lives haven't even started or a young couple who have their whole future ahead of them; gone at the hand of something so pure, something created perfectly from the hand of God.

"We're out of time. This witch has to die, the seal must be saved," Castiel continued as if the deaths of a whole town was as insignificant as stepping on an ant. Kim scrunched her nose in utter disgust.

"What type of angel are you? You don't go around slaughtering a town in order to prevent more slaughter!" Kim yelled at them. Their once intimidating and proper stance no longer had any effect on her, and her motions to step back at her father's warnings were dismissed.

"You have no influence over the matter," Uriel informed Kim directly, his deep and naturally booming voice no longer affected her and his words soon became as meaningless to her as her's were to him.

"There are a thousand people here," Sam interjected.

"One thousand two hundred and fourteen," Uriel corrected.

"And you're willing to kill them all?" Sam asked with complete shock.

"This isn't the first time I've... purified a city," Uriel explained.

"Purify my ass. If you wanna purify it pour some fricking holy water on it. Bless the rain or something. You're destroying a whole town. It's not going to happen," Kim said firmly, her voice sounded with no wavers or faultless and somehow relaxed the demeaning figure of Uriel as he loomed over her short figure.

"Look, I understand this is regrettable-" Castiel started.

"Regrettable?" Dean scoffed.

"We have to hold the line. Too many seals have broken already," Castiel continued with an attempt to convince Dean. His eyes were on Dean. He was facing Dean. He was directed to Dean. Any other presence or opinion ion that room had no influence on Castiel.

"So you screw the pooch on some seals and this town has to pay the price?" Dean asked disgustedly. Kim was confident Castiel would listen to Dean, but she was even more confident that Dean wouldn't let some angel destroy this town.

"It's the lives of one thousand against the lives of six billion. There's a bigger picture here," Castiel continued.

"Right, cause you're bigger picture kind of guys," Dean huffed.

"Lucifer cannot rise," he said firmly. "He does and Hell rises with him. Is that something that you're willing to risk?"

"We'll stop this witch before she summons anyone. Your seal won't be broken and no one has to die," Sam suggested.

"We're wasting time with these mud monkeys," Uriel interjected as Castiel looked from Dean to Uriel.

"I'm sorry, but we have our orders."

"No, you can't do this, you're angels, I mean aren't you supposed to – You're supposed to show mercy," Sam urged them, his vision of the angels was quickly disintegrating. His whole life, he as praying, relying on a bunch of asshole angels that believed a whole town in a good price to pay, even when they have tome to kill the witch themselves. He began to think he was foolish to ever put his faith in them and it was at that moment that Kim was grateful for her father's correct warning.

"Says who?" Uriel asked Sam disgustingly.

"We have no choice."

"Of course you have a choice. I mean, come on, what? You've never questioned a crap order, huh? What are you both, just a couple of hammers?" Dean asked angrily.

"Look, even if you can't understand it, have faith. The plan is just," Castiel continued. He was one tough angel to convince as Dean was one tough human.

"How can you even say that?" Sam asked, shocked.

"Because it comes from heaven, that makes it just," Castiel continued.

"Oh, it must be nice, to be so sure of yourselves," Dean scoffed.

"Tell me something, Dean, when your father gave you an order, didn't you obey?" Castiel asked quickly, walking straight up to Dean as if the concept of personal space was irreverent. Dean looked at Castiel for a second and Castiel knew that Dean had never asked his father twice; unless it involved Sam.

"Well, sorry boys looks like the plans have changed," Dean said confidently.

"You think you can stop us?" Uriel spat with a cocky smirk on his lips. Dean turned to Uriel with a face expressing disgust; he was a pathetic excuse for an angel.

"No, but if you're gonna smite this whole town, then you're gonna have to smite us with it, because we are not leaving," Dean smirked. "See, you went to the trouble of busting me out of Hell. I figure I'm worth something to the man upstairs. So you wanna waste me, go ahead, see how he digs that."

"I will drag you out of here myself," Uriel seethed.

"Yeah, but you'll have to kill me, then we're back to the same problem. I mean, come on, you're gonna wipe out a whole town for one little witch. Sounds to me like you're compensating for something," Dean sassed before turning back to Castiel who still had his usual, slightly angry expression. "We can do this. We will find that witch and we will stop the summoning."

"Castiel! I will not let these people–" Castiel held up his hand towards Uriel, silencing him instantly.

"Enough!" Castiel boomed before staring at Dean for a few seconds, he searched for something in his eyes. "I suggest you move quickly."

•※•

They found their way to the Impala and Kim sat in the back, comfortably. She sat down with the hex bag still in her hand, she tossed it in the air a few times as everyone thought of where the Tracy girl would be. With another toss, Kim caught the hex but didn't attempt to throw it up again. She held it and looked at it, a firm grasp over it. Turning it in her palm, she stared at it, her mind lost in thought.

There was a silence as Sam let out a sigh. Everyone stopped and looked at him. He looked as if everything he had a higher hope in this drastic life had been crushed in front of his eyes, and it had.

"What?" Dean asked.

"Nothing," Sam sighed, looking at his hands in deep thought. The total ruined express on his face hurt to see. "I thought they'd be different."

"Who, the angels?" Dean scoffed.

"Yeah," Sam nodded.

"Well, I tried to tell ya," Dean drilled as Kim nodded.

"I just... I mean, I thought they'd be righteous," he sighed simply. The lies they spilled to you as a young child were wrong. Lies from everyone; lies from the ones that believed, lies to the people the believed. Everything he had hope in vanished; what was he to look to now?

"Well, they are righteous, I mean, that's kinda the problem. Of course, there's nothing more dangerous than some a-hole who thinks he's on a holy mission," Dean shrugged.

"But, I mean, this is God? And Heaven? This is what I've been praying to?" Sam cringed.

"Look, man, I know you're into the whole God thing, you know, Jesus on a tortilla and stuff like that. But just because there's a couple of bad apples doesn't mean the whole barrel's rotten. I mean, for all we know, God hates these jerks. Don't give up on this stuff, is all I'm saying. Babe Ruth was a dick but baseball's still a beautiful game." His speech was not helpful; Sam still looked disappointed.

Kim sighed and opened the hex bag and found the same coin Sam showed Don in the art room, along with a wiry herb and a tiny, black bone that had been burnt in extreme temperatures; she picked it up and examined it.

"Well, are you gonna figure out a way to find this witch, or are you just gonna sit there fingering your bone?" Dean tells Kim as he looked at her through the back mirror and started the Impala.

"This bone was burnt right?" Kim asked as she held it up. Sam looked behind him and nodded

"What gave it away? The fact that it's black and chard?" Dean sassed with a laugh. Kim mimicked his laugh and scoffed.

"No, because the bone would need to be put in really high temperatures to burn like this," she said. "Not some ordinary fire." Dean looked at her as if she was speaking gibberish, but Sam looked at her through the mirror and nodded, knowing exactly what she meant.

"We need to make a stop."

•※•

There three of them stalked into the art classroom of the school, where the kiln was set. Each of them had their guns out, all prepared with special bullets to kill witches.

"So Tracy used the kiln to char the bone, what's the big deal?" Dean asked, looking around to make sure so one was around the corner. Sam is ruffling through Don's desk as Kim looked through the papers on other shelves.

"Dean, that hex bag turned up in our room, not after we talked to Tracy-" Sam explained without looking up.

"After we talked to the teacher," Dean finished as Kim nodded. Kim couldn't find anything as she shuffled through the papers.

"Hey," Sam called to Kim and Dean and they all moved over to see him hovered over a locked bottom drawer. Kim passes Sam a hammer she found on the shelves and he smashes the lock, allowing them to open the draw. In there was a bowl filled with small, white bones like the ones found in the hex bag and small children's jaws. Immediately, Sam straightened up.

"My God, those are all from children," Sam cringed.

"And I'm guessing he's not saving them for the dog," Dean added as Sam gave Dean a look, who just shrugged it off.

•※•

Sam, Kim and Dean found their way to Don's house where they hear movement from the basement. With a quick look at each other, they all headed in the same direction. The house was dark, extremely hard to see where they were going. Kim held one hand out to feel for an object in the way, but her hands were useless. She couldn't feel anything in front of her; nor did she know if her finger was on the trigger. In the dark, she was helpless.

Sam found a flight of stairs leading to the basement. They moved to see Tracy tied by the hands to the ceiling, unable to move. Don moved over to her as she struggled in the grip, and held a knife to her throat. Without second hesitation, Sam pulled the trigger three times and shot Don in the back. Kim tried to pull the trigger but her finger was on another part of the gun and her sight was too poor in the dark to fix it. All of them but their guns away, although it took Kim longer than she would like to admit.

Quickly, Sam goes over to check if Don was still alive by checking his pulse, something Kim couldn't do, while Dean ran to untie Tracy. She was free as she rubbed her irritated and sore wrists.

"Thank you, he was gonna kill me!" she cried. "Ugh, that sick son of a bitch. I mean, did you see what he was doing? Did you hear him? How sloppy his incantation was?" Sam, Kim and Dean stopped and looked up at each other. Tracy, although tied up, was not as innocent as she seemed. "My brother–" Sam, Kim and Dean reached for their guns "Always was a little dim."

Tracy threw up her hand and the three of them were sent flying into the wall, the guns flew from Dean and Sams hands, Kim wasn't able to get hers before she as thrown. Sam looked at her as she gestured to her gun in her waistband. Sam nodded once and reached for it, but the second it was in his hands, it was out. She had thrown it across the room.

"He was gonna make me the final sacrifice, his idea, but now, that honor goes to him. Our master's return? The spellwork's a two-man job you understand, so for six hundred years, I had to deal with that pompous son of a bitch. Planning, preparing, unbearable," Tracy spat as she knelt down at Don and picked up the knife he once held and a chalice. "The whole time I wanted to rip his face off." She dug the knife into his skin and caught it in the chalice.

She looked up to the three of them who were still writhing in pain. They were on the floor, clutching their sore bodies. She had flung them backwards and into a brick wall, their backs felt like they were smashed.

"And you get him with a gun, uh, love that." Tracy goes back to the altar that was in the basement, part of the ritual. "You know, back in the day, this was the one day you kept your children inside. Well, tonight you'll all see what Halloween really is."

Tracy started to chant something, another incantation as the three still rolled in pain, clutching their stomach. Sam wriggled his way towards Don's dead corpse and sloppily dripped his hand in his pouring blood. Without any hesitation, he whipped the blood all over his face.

"What are you doing?" Dean asked disgustedly.

"Just follow my lead," he said as she spread the blood on Dean's face too along with Kim's. Just as Sam stopped and laid still, Tracy's chants stopped. Instantly, the concrete floor cracked and black smoke rose from the ground and into Don's vessel.

The three of them were unable to stop the rising of Samhain; another seal was broken.

Don's vessel got up, he was now occupied by Samhain himself. His eyes were piercing blue that illuminated in the dark. His posture was of the angels, proper and strong. He walked over the Tracy; they couldn't tell what she was saying, but within moments, he had twisted her neck mercilessly. He turned to face them as they laid still in the hope he would think they were dead. He stared at them for a few moments, his eyes peering down on them. With a huff, he moved along, not bothering them at all.

"What the hell was that?" Dean asked after Samhain had gone upstairs.

"Halloween lore. People used to wear masks to hide from him, so I gave it a shot," he shrugged.

"You gave it a shot?!" Dean whispered harshly at Sam, not believing that he took a chance like that. Quickly they got up and made their way to the Impala to follow him, whipping the blood off of their faces as they walk.

"Where the hell are we gonna find this mook?" Dean asked as he hopped into the Impala.

"He wants to raise the dead, right? So we're going to the dead," Kim answered.

"The cemetery."

"Yeah," and they drive off towards the cemetery.

"So, this demon's pretty powerful," Sam said quickly as Kim scoffed.

"No shit," she scoffed.

"Might take more than the usual weapons," Sam suggested as Dean drove. Kim quickly zipped her lips, realising this wasn't a conversation for her. Sam glanced at Dean who looked dead down the road.

"Sam, no, you're not using your psychic whatever. You've been good, Sam. You've been away from Ruby," he said firmly. "Don't even think about it. Kim's knife is enough."

"Why?"

"Well because the angels said so for one–" Dean started but was quickly cut off.

"I thought you said they were a bunch of fanatics," Sam said, throwing his old words back at him.

"Well, they happen to be right about this one."

"I don't know, Dean, it doesn't seem like they're right about much," Sam continued, trying to convince his brother. Kim sat in the back, thinking about her ability, whatever it is. She hadn't gotten that weird pain thing in a while, which had given her some time to recover from all the last ones she had; but she couldn't help but wonder if she could help. The angels obviously didn't mind what she did, considering she was just in the way.

"Well then forget the angels, okay? You said yourself, these powers, it's like playing with fire," Dean accused as he looked over to Sam. "Please." Sam sighed as Kim looked around her duffel bag for the knife, before hesitantly giving it to Sam

"I'm gonna need that back," Kim said firmly as Sam rolled his eyes; no one said anything the rest of the ride.

Dean parked the car frantically, the three of them hopped out with their guns ready, Kim was sure to place her finger on the trigger before she hopped out if the car but she couldn't tell how much pressure she was putting on the trigger, and she accidentally fired a bullet into the road. Sam and Dean jumped at the sound and turned to her dramatically.

"What? I can't feel the trigger," she sighed as Dean held out his hand for her to place the gun in. With a scoff, she looked at his hand. "Seriously?"

"Well I don't want you shooting my foot, so yes," Dean enthused as he shook his hand for her to put the gun in.

"What an I suppose to do?" she asked as she dropped her gun in his hand. Putting her gun in his waistband, he shrugged.

"Punch him," and they were off. Kim grabbed her secret gun from her sock and hid it in her waistband as they walked. The three of them ran down the step of the cemetery until the found a locked moralism door, the students from Don's class were locked in as they had a Halloween party.

"Help them," Sam ordered.

"Dude, you're not going off alone," Dean scoffed quickly.

"Kim, let's go. Do it!" Sam pointed or the lock as Dean sighed, firing a bullet at the lock. Sam ran off down the corridor, Kim followed behind him as he ran towards a certain noise. Sam turned the corners of the moralism, only the dim lights that hung on the walls lit up the way. Sam held his gun out as he walked; when he turned a corner, Sam and Kim were faced with Samhain, his back towards them. Sam hold his hand up quickly, telling Kim to follow him slowly.

Kim held her gun up, the dim light was enough for her to make sure her finger was just hovering over the gun trigger. Sam tried to sneak up to Samhain, their eyes narrowing at the demon. They made sure their steps were as light as a feather, but Samhain sensed them and turned around. He raised his hands and a small, dim light admitted from his hand. His attempt to send Sam and Kim flying backwards had failed. Sam looked at Kim quickly as found that she was still walking with him.

"Yeah, that demon ray gun stuff? It doesn't work on us," Sam said as he held up Kim's knife. Instantly, Samhain ran to Sam and threw him against the wall before turning to Kim a slamming her against the ground. A hand was firmly placed on her neck, the weight of him against her throat. Her arms reached out for something, but she couldn't move her head, his grip on her neck made her head immobile so she couldn't see what she was touching. Her heads reached out for something, anything, but the numbness in her hands stayed. No longer could she feel the temperature of the cool tiles or the hardness of the nearby gun. Her hand could simply move over the gun and she wouldn't even notice.

Kim's throat was closing fast, her helpless flailing around to feel for something was useless. The lack of oxygen was getting to her, her eyes were fuzzy and her brain was throbbing, slowly everything else in her body became numb. Kim was on the verge of blacking out when Sam pushed him off of her. Kim gasped for air, her hands found her way to her sensitive neck. It took her a few moments to push herself up, but she managed to stumble to her feet, the fuzziness in her vision was slowly clearing and the headache induced throbbing in her brain decreased. With her hands on her knees, she took in one more deep breath before looking around to find Sam. He was pushed up against the wall by Samhain, a hand firmly around his neck.

With a hand against his throat, Sam managed to wriggle the demon knife out of his waistband and slash Samhain, causing his skin to sizzle. It was quickly pushed out of his hands and thrown across the room. Kim breathed as she lunged for the knife but a hurdling Sam knocked her over on her way. Samhain had thrown him into Kim and they hurdled to the floor in a heap. Sam was up instantly, but Kim was struck with a lack of oxygen and she smashed her head on the tiled floor. She groaned in pain, her hands clutching her head, the throbbing that had diminished had quickly returned and she screamed in pain. Her eyes were sneezed shut and she curled her knees into her chest. Blocking her ears from the outside noise and shutting her eyes from the movement.

Her eyes were shut and her ears were blocked, she stayed still for a few moments as she tried composed her breathing. She looked up, her eyelids hard to lift fully; she saw Sam standing straight, his hand extended towards Samhain. Sam's stare was focused on him, his face scrunched in concentration. Samhain started to struggle, something was rising in his throat. The sound of him choking and suffering filled the air.

Kim stumbled to her feet, her gaze drifting from Sam to Samhain. Her body started to tense as a fiery pain slowly crept through her arms. She was struggling to breathe and she fell to her knees, her fingertips placed on the ground to balance her. Her breathing became dangerously shallow, the pain hadn't subsided. Her fingertips that were numb to the ground began to feel the pain reach her fingers. The power began to flow, fiery and painful, but Kim was so suppressed to the numbness that she didn't mind the pain.

Blood started to drip from Sam's nose and over his mouth, he also struggled to breathe. Sam's face was getting red and he was struggling to keep his abilities straight. He tensed and shook, the tension in his muscles as he forced his ability towards Samhain was too painful for him. Samhain was rising in Don's throat, about to release Don's vessel. Sam's hand dropped in pain and he stopped fighting. Sam's breath was lost as Kim regained hers. The fire in her fingertips built immensely as she watched the demon descend back into Don and regenerate his power.

Kim bit her lip to keep her scared suppressed but it wasn't long until her lip was bleeding. The pain became stingingly painful, unbearably so. A tension so immense Kim could no longer stand the heat. With a shaky breath, Kim let out a piercing scream as she held a hand up towards Samhain. The tension and pain in her fingers released in her fiery scream, the loud thump of Don's limp body fell to the floor as Samhain sunk through the ground. He was sent back to Hell at the hand of Kim.

Kim's scream vanished in the air as Samhain descended and she gasped to catch her breath. Kim fell limp, hardly able to lift her head as she fell to the floor. She gasped, her eyes somehow managed to slightly open; she saw Dean in the hallway. Her lips shook, about to open but she was too weak to continue, her head fell to the tiles floor.

•※•

Kim stayed out for a few hours after that, her body was completely limp, and if it wasn't for the faint raising of her chest, she would look dead. It was Dean who picked her up after the incident. Carrying her bridal style, his arms held her securely and carried her to the car. Gently he placed her in the back, her unconscious body slumped over the seat. By the time they were done, the day had risen and Halloween was over.

Kim laid unconscious in the back, unaware Dean saw everything that happened, including what Sam had done. As the hours went by, her body started to wake but she didn't want to open her sore eyes. The last memory she held was the sight of Dean, disturbed in the hallway, watching Kim as she faded to black. Afraid if she opened her eyes, she would have to face him and his questions, but she couldn't sleep forever.

Opening her sore eyes, she looked up. The morning sun was high and shone into the Impala, waking her up further. She sat up with a groan, her whole body was sore. The laughter of children could be heard from outside as Kim furrowed her eyebrows. Looking out of the window the sight of a playground filled her view with kids running around it. Rubbing her eyes, she looked around the park, her eyes landed on Dean and Castiel sitting on the park bench hidden under some trees.

Disorientated, she climbed out of the car, the cold metal of the Impala shot through her hand, the light from the sun blinded her. Her fingers glided over her eyelid, the light touch of her eyelashes ticked her skin. The smooth sensation of her skin made her hum as she walked. She dropped her hand from her face, her fingertips grazed against the rough materials of her jeans.

She stopped as she walked, shooting her hands up to stare at her finger. Her hands were no longer covered in red blisters or numb and her touch was as sensitive as ever. She smiled widely, never thinking she would miss the feeling of her flannel so much.

"I'm not a... hammer as you say. I have questions, I have doubts. I don't know what is right and what is wrong anymore, whether you passed or failed here. But in the coming months, you will have more decisions to make. I don't envy the weight that's on your shoulders, Dean. I truly don't," Castiel said as Kim walked up, her ears only caught the end of their conversation. Kim walked up to them, squinting her eyes as she listened, but Castiel stopped immediately when she saw Kim. Instantly, he stood up to meet her, his strong and firm gaze met hers.

"Kimberly–"

"It's Kim," she corrected instantly. Castiel stopped and nodded once.

"Kim, how are your hands?" he asked quickly, looking down to her hands which were still on her flannel.

"You did this?" she asked with a lined smile. Castiel simply nodded, his stance severely proper. "Thank you." Again, he just nodded. His eyes searched hers, his head tilted in confusion as he squinted his eyes curiously. Kim furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she watched him, he shuffled closer to the point where his face was hovering over hers. His vessel was almost the same height as Dean, both of them could tower over her easily.

"I was unaware you had abilities such as Sam's," he said formally, his head still tilted. Immediately, his eyes became more threatening as he moved closer, Kim quickly stepped back uncomfortably. Castiel noticed how uncomfortable she was and stopped in his tracks, Dean came over to Kim's aid. "Which is curious because I can usually see alterations in humans." His eyes squinted even further.

Kim stood still, swallowing a lump in her throat. Everyone was looking at her when she was normally in the shadow of Sam, how she liked it. Kim was becoming aware of how Sam must have felt when Dean focuses on his abilities; all the eyes staring at her freaked her out.

"You know what it is?" she asked, slightly hopeful. If anyone were to know, it would be an angel. Castiel bowed his head unknowingly.

"I do not, but I can sense a weakening within yourself. I am unable to sense anything celestial within you," he continued. "But I can examine you if you like."

"Examine? What do you mean examine?" Dean asked quickly at Kim's side. He placed a hand on her shoulder as he looked suspiciously at Castiel. Castiel sighed, looking to meet Kim's eyes.

"It is called a Soul Touch. I am able to look into your soul and examine any abnormalities. It is dangerous and can cause patentable death but it is the only way to know for sure," Castiel explained as Dean instantly shook his head.

"No," he said quickly. "Not happening." Castiel didn't recognise Dean's refusal and kept his attention on Kim. She looked at Castiel, full of curiosity. Kim was not afraid of death, it had never caused her fear, but although she was content with her own death, Dean wasn't. She shook her head, although she was extremely curious.

"Then I'm afraid I can't help you," he apologised. There was a silence as Dean and Kim looked at Castiel suspiciously. With the angel's urgency to stop Sam from using his powers, she refused to believe he was going to let her go so easily. Her trust in Angels had been borne from a young age, her father's warning had stuck with her all through her life and the simplicity of letting her go after figuring out something as severe as this seemed suspiciously nice.

"So that it? No capturing or killing?" she asked carefully.

"You are not my mission."


	44. Chapter Forty-Two

The bar was crowded and loud. The atmosphere was relaxed as everyone minded their own business with their own drinks to keep them occupied. The music was like a soft hum in the background and compared to other bars Kim had been too, this one was rather tamed.

Kim and Dean sat together at the bar together with a drink in their hands, Dean had graciously let Kim have a beer while they watched Sam hustle some bulky guy at the pool tables.

Kim could tell that Dean was keeping an eye on her drink, making sure she only had one. She hadn't told him that he missed her twenty-first birthday; or that she could drink whatever she wanted whenever she wanted and after everything she's been through without a drink, she believed she was entitled to exactly that.

Kim took another sip as her eyes scanned the bar, the smell of alcohol had stained the room and somewhat tingled her nose as she breathed. The bar counter was wet with condensation and marked with the memories of nights before then; carvings of people's names and spill stains. Kim finished the last sip of her beer as she read a name on the counter and with a quick look up, she garbed the bartender's attention and shook her empty beer bottle, signaling for another.

The bartender came back with her beer and placed it down on the messy bench, but before he could walk away or Kim could grab her new drink, a hand reached out and stopped her.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Dean interrupted as the bartended placed Kim's second drink in front of her. "What are you doing?" he asked with furrowed eyebrows. Kim traced Deans arm to his face as she tried to wiggle out of his tight grip on her wrist.

"Having a drink," she scoffed, her eyes wandering from her dripping beer to Deans face.

"Yeah, over my dead body," he mocked, slightly tightening his grip. Kim never understood his infatuation over what she drank at what age, considering she knew he wasn't twenty-one when he had his first drink, but the time had come for her to let him know that she had once again grown older and he had once again missed it, not that she cared, in fact, she avoided that conversation.

"You are twenty-one, right?" the bartender asked cautiously, his eyes narrowing at her.

"No, she isn't-"

"Yes I am," she said roughly as she pulled out her real ID with her other hand and showed the bartender. After checking it thoroughly, he nodded and handed it back to her. She snapped her head towards Dean and pulled her arms out of Dean's grip. Looking him straight in the eye, she didn't blink when she took a sip of her next of hopefully many beers.

"Hate to break it to you, but you ditched me for a hunt on my twenty-first birthday," she smirked and sighed with a melodramatic satisfied sigh. Kim wasn't really bothered by that fact, birthdays were just another day to hunters.

"What?" he asked shocked. "Why the hell wouldn't you tell me!?" he scolded, throwing his arms about.

"Uh, it's not that big of a deal. You should know better than anyone else that birthdays are the last thing to celebrate," she scoffed. She looked him up and down as he sat speechlessly. "Don't worry," she said with a cheeky smirk, "you can keep your gas station cupcake."

Dean's guilty expression softly changed into a smile as he took a sip of his beer; she was unlike any other girl he had ever met.

Dean looked at Sam, who was drunkenly stumbling over his feet as he lost his first game of pool. The two of them watched in amusement, the guy Sam was against had a wrongfully cocky grin on his lips as he scooped up the small amount of money. Dean grabbed Kim's arm and pulled him over to the table, whispering in her ear to 'play along'.

"Brian, come on, man, just one more. Just - just give me a chance to win it back." Sam convinced the man he was playing pool with to shoot another round with him. Sam knew he wouldn't refuse, he had already won a game.

"It's your cash," Brian shrugged as Dean and Kim walked up.

"Excuse me. My brother's a little sauced to be making bets," Dean stopped, trying to excuse his brother as Kim stood aside. Kim watched as the bar door opened, a too familiar looking girl had just walked in.

"He insisted," Brian continued.

"Yeah, but you've already taken, what, two bills off him? I'm just saying."

"Hey, shut up, Dean. I'm fine," Sam insisted, his wobble extremely controlled.

"No, you're not fine. You're drunk!" Dean accused firmly. Sam rolled his eyes towards his brother before looking back at the man, a drunken look in his eyes.

"Let's make it five hundred," Sam continued, ignoring Dean.

"Five hundred?" Dean hollered.

"Sure," Brian agreed with a smug smile. Sam nodded and confidently placed the money on the table. "Five hundred. Your break." Sam smiled as Brian put all the balls in place and sam lined up his aim. His once drunken wobble had disappeared as the worry on Dean's expression faltered.

"That little shit," Kim breathed out as Sam broke, but Dean hadn't noticed that Kim wasn't paying attention to Sam and was instead addressing someone else.

Sam broke sinking several balls and instantly winning. Brian was completely shocked by his loss and looked up at Sam with his mouth slightly open, but something had instantly caught Sam's eyes and his one cocky expression changed to a straight one.

"Keep the money," Sam breathed as he moved away, walking towards Ruby. Kim seethed under her breath at the sight of her. After a few moments of intense questioning his brother sanity, Dean and Kim followed him and Deans expression dropped as soon as he saw her, almost to the intensity of Kim's disgust.

"Hey," Sam greeted.

"Well, you got a lot of nerve showing up anywhere near me," Dean added cockily, his disgust evident in his expression and tone.

"Or me," Kim added, just as repulsed. Ruby sighed, obviously sick of them.

"I just have some info, and then I'm gone," she said easily, her tone unusually kind.

"What is it?" Sam asked too quickly. Kim watched as he spoke to her, the way he was so comfortable around her annoyed her. The way he smiled when he saw her, rejected money just to get to her faster, his actions disgusted her even more so after she told Sam that she was the bitch that stole her knife. Her knife. He only thought about himself, and even when Ruby couldn't save Dean from Hell as she promised, he excused her mistakes and trusts her. A demon. Kim watched and the further their conversation went, the more convinced Kim was that she could never trust Sam again.

"I'm hearing a few whispers," she told them.

"Ooh, great, demon whisperers - that's reliable," Dean scoffed as Ruby rolled her eyes.

"Girl named Anna Milton escaped from a locked ward yesterday. The demons seem pretty keen on finding her. Apparently, some real heavy hitters turned out for the Easter-egg hunt," Ruby explained.

"Why? Who is she?" Sam asked attentively.

"No idea but I'm thinking that she's important, 'cause the order is to capture her alive. I just figured that whatever the deal is, you might want to find this girl before the demons do," Ruby shrugged as Kim scoffed. "Don't trust me?"

"Never have," Kim huffed as Ruby stepped forward so that they were face to face. Kim was not threatened, she hadn't even flinched for the second Ruby moved, Kim, whipped out her knife and held it straight so that when Ruby stepped in, it gently pressed against her stomach discreetly. Kim smirked as she watched Ruby anger quickly, her jaw clenched and knuckles whiten. She was about to say something when Kim softly pressed the knife harder into her stomach, not enough to cut her, but enough to get the message through. Ruby quickly shut her mouth. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

"Look, maybe we should check it out," Sam said quickly to get back on topic, pulling Ruby away from Kim.

"Actually, we're working a case, but thanks," Dean smirked.

"What case?" Dean hesitated for a minute before turning to her with an obviously fake smile.

"Uh, we've got leads, big leads," Dean continued, he hadn't even managed to convince himself that there was a case there.

"Sounds dangerous," she mocked.

"Yeah, well, it sure ain't goose-chasing after some chick who, for all we know, doesn't even exist, just because you say she's important," Dean scoffed.

"I'm just delivering the news. You can do whatever you want with it. Far as I'm concerned, I told you, I'm done." Ruby turned to leave, which everyone but Sam was happy to see.

"Wait, wait, wait. This hospital Anna escaped from - it got a name?"

•※•

Dean drove down a long road as Sam chatted on the phone, Kim sat in the back still thankful for her sense of touch back as her thoughts dwindled on the angel who gifted them to her. She thought of what her father had told her about angles when she was younger and how he seemed eerily accurate and inaccurate at the same time. She took caution around angels and she trod carefully with Castiel; he had given her the sense of touch but he was still an angel and she trusted her father's words.

"Can I get a copy of the missing person's report? Great. Okay. Thanks," Sam said before hanging up the phone. "Well, Anna Milton's definitely real."

"Don't mean the case is real. And this hospital's a three-day drive," Dean scoffed as Kim groaned.

"So we're driving three days for a case a demon told us about," Kim groaned.

"We've driven further for less, Kim," Sam reminded as Dean shook his head as Kim scoffed. "You got something to say, say it," he announced rather annoyed as he looked between Dean and Kim.

"Oh, I'm saying it - this sucks," Dean grouched.

"You're not pissed we're going after the girl. You're pissed Ruby threw us the tip," Sam scoffed.

"Right. 'Cause as far as you're concerned, the hell-bitch is practically family. Yeah, boy, something major must've happened while I downstairs, 'cause I come back, and - and you ditched Kim and became BFF with a demon?" Dean barked disgusted as Sam shuffled at the mentioning of Kim.

"I told you, Dean, she helped me go after Lilith," Sam excused.

"You trust her?" Kim scoffed dramatically as Sam looked over his shoulder at her. "She may have 'helped' you go after Lilith but you're nowhere closer to her than we are. She stole my knife. She's a demon! How much more do I need to list!" Kim argued.

"You may have been tracking me but you don't know the half of it," Sam bickered.

"Oh, I know more than you'd like me to know," Kim huffed angrily, leaning forward threateningly. Sam shuffled a bit and Kim saw he was uncomfortable as Dean looked between them and the road.

"What does that mean?" Dean asked eagerly as he stared at Kim. Kim looked at Sam for a second.

"Nothing! She just helped me get to Lilith," Sam intervened.

"Well, thanks for the thumbnail–real vivid. You want to fill in a little detail?" Dean asked angrily.

"Sure, Dean, let's trade stories. You first. How was Hell? Don't spare the details," Sam asked quickly. Dean stopped for a second. He had said before that he didn't remember anything but Kim and Sam were beginning to not believe him. Kim had noticed he had been having nightmares, more distant, staring into space randomly. Kim understood it must have been a severely traumatic experience, but only if he remembered it.

•※•

 _Kim followed Sam on her phone, the small dot moving faster than usual. He was speeding down a highway and Kim was not far behind him. She watched as he turned into a crossroad Kim knew well. Swallowing a lump, she swore under her breath at Sam's actions. Quickly, Kim put a firm foot on the peddle and sped as fast as Sam down the same road to get there before he did something he regretted._

 _Her car swerved to a stop and she hopped out, a cloud of dust flooded her vision from the rocks her car flicked up as she drove. Kim watched from a distance as he called out to the demon, he had already placed his box in the ground. Sighing silently, she left a short distance between them and sat ready, making sure he didn't go any further. She watched as he swayed on his feet, a slur in his voice. He was drunk and sloppy, his brain wasn't in the right place, but if she went to get him he would know she tracked him; but it was already too late, he had already placed his box in the ground and covered it._

 _"Come on! Where the hell_ are _you!?" Sam called to the demon, his scream was full of pain. Drunken and angered red appeared on his face as he yelled, his throat scratching at the intensity._

 _"I was wondering whether to come or not," a demon said from behind him. Both Sam and Kim turned in his direction, the demon was standing under a street light a healthy distance away from Sam. "I mean, you shot one of my co-workers. Don't take this the wrong way, Sam, but you don't look so hot, buddy. I guess burying your brother didn't agree with you," the demon sassed. Sam swayed a bit, clenching jaw._

 _"Well?" Sam asked._

 _"Well, let's see that special little knife of yours first," the demon asked. Kim straightened up, the mentioning of her knife perked her attention further and she watched and Sam pulled out the knife from his waistband and showed it to the demon. He walked towards the demon who stood still and harshly dropped the knife against an outdoor table._

 _Kim clenched her jaw and her fishes. Her father did not sell his soul just for Sam to foolishly give the knife back. Kim stood in a crouched position, a running position to sprint to her knife, the anger in her didn't care if it was a decision that could get her killed, she was blinded with rage. The crossroad demon stayed still, still suspicious of Sam._

 _"No devil's traps, either. I'm not here to play games," Sam said seriously as the demon relaxed a bit and walked closer to the knife. They were face to face, an angered expression on Sam and a smirk on the demon._

 _"Well, let me guess. You want to make a deal. And 'round and 'round the Winchesters go," the demon smirked as Sam stiffened, his stance was crooked. "I'm sorry, Sam. That's not gonna happen." Sam's expression darkened and instantly stabbed the knife into the demon hand plastering him to the table; it was so quick that Kim would have missed it if she blinked._

 _"I don't want ten years. I don't want one year. I don't want candy! I want to trade places with Dean," Sam yelled, obviously distressed. She wanted to feel bad for him, but she took her knife and left her in the middle of the night. It seemed to Kim that he has forgotten that Dean's death hadn't just affected him._

 _"No," the demon said painfully._

 _"Just take me! It's a fair trade!" Sam yelled but the demoed refused._

 _"No!"_

 _"Why not? Lilith wants me dead. Just let Dean go, and she can have me," Sam said sloppily, a pain obvious in his expression._

 _"Don't you understand, Sam? It's not about your soul. Dean's in Hell, right where we want him. We've got everything exactly the way we want it," the demon smirked evilly. "You want to kill me? Go ahead. I've made peace with my lord." Sam used the knife to slit the demon's throat._

•※•

Sam, Kim and Dean walked into the hospital all dressed up and ready. They found the psychologist that took care of Anna and asked him a few questions.

"Of course I want to help however I can," she responded quickly, a slightly guilty look on his face.

"Now, the orderly has no recollection of Anna's escape?" Sam asked quickly as Kim looked Aldine the room Anna stayed in. It was all white and simple, nothing to stimulate the brain or entertain the patient; if you weren't crazy when you were locked in that room you would be after.

"Apparently, she knocked him unconscious. The blow caused some amnesia. He doesn't even remember coming into her room," she replied, speaking about the doctor that had been scheduled to give her her medicine the day she escaped.

"That's a hell of a right hook to knock out a guy that's got 80 pounds on her," Dean huffed.

"We think she may have planned this, waited behind the door," the phycological continued. Kim saw a notebook on the table. Without asking, or even thinking of aking, Kim reached for the notebook and started flicking through it. The psychologist watched as she skimmed the pages, her expression changing with every page.

"Right. Uh, you mentioned Anna's illness was recent," Sam continued as the phycologist nodded.

"Two months ago, she was happy, well-adjusted, a journalism major, lots of friends - Bright future."

"And she just..." Kim questioned as she flipped through the notebook.

"Flipped?" Dean finished.

"Well, that's the tragedy of schizophrenia. Within weeks, Anna was overtaken by delusions," the psychologist explained.

"What kind of delusions?" Dean asked and before the psychologist could answer. Kim shoved the notebook under his nose.

"She thought demons were everywhere," she sighed as he pointed to some sketches on the notebook. Sam looked over Kim's shoulders to the sketches and they all had similar expressions.

"Interesting," Dean nodded.

"It's not uncommon for our patients to believe that monsters are real," the psychologist continued.

"Well, that's just insane," Kim scoffed with a hint of a laugh as she turned the page. Pictures of sketched demons filled the pages, church windows and angel wings. Meaningless sketches mixed with the hidden 'Raising of the Witnesses' and the next page 'Samhain the next seal is broken'.

"That's Revelations," Den breathed.

"Since when does the Book of Revelations have jack-o'-lanterns?" the psychologist continued.

"It's a, uh, it's a little-known translation," Dean continued.

"Well, Anna's father was a church deacon." Kim's eyes scanned the sketch of the church window. "When she became ill, her paranoia took on religious overtones. She was convinced the devil was about to rise up and end the world. I hope you find her. It's dangerous for her to be out there alone right now."

With a nod, and the notebook in Kim's hand as they walked towards the Impala. With a sigh, they made it past the white hallways and stereotypical patients and into the carpark.

"Did you see what she wrote. She knows about the seals," Kim asked as she held out the notebook to Dean, who took it.

"Yeah, what do you think she is?" Dean asked.

"No idea." Kim sighed as she walked towards the Impala. "So, you guys go to the parent's house and I'll go to the father's church?" Kim suggested. She knew it wasn't the best idea considering they had no idea who they were up against but it was the quickest way to cover ground; even though Bobby had taken her car.

"What? No, we'll go to the parent's house together and if nothing's there, we'll go to the church," Dean explained but Kim just shook her head.

"It will be quicker if I just go to the church and you guys go to the parent's house, or we could switch." Kim quickly went to the trunk of the Impala and pulled out her duffel bag and swung it over her shoulder.

"You don't even have a car," Dean continued but Kim shrugged.

"It's been like that since I've met you. I make my way," and with that, Kim turned with her bag swung over her shoulder. She had already asked the psychologist where the church was for 'investigation reasons' and she had given her the address.

Kim walked to the footpath and started walking. The walk was simple and short, the church was surprisingly close or Kim was just used to walking far distances. She walked to the front of the church, the window at the centre front of the church matched the one in the notebook Dean took with him. With a nod she walked into the church, placing her duffel bag at the entrance, she pulled out her gun and held it straight.

Kim stalked further into the church, her gun aimed high and ready. The church was empty and quiet, not a sound could be heard. Kim ventured forward, her eyes quickly darting across the room in suspense. Walking around, she checked all the corners before ascending up some creaky wooden stairs into a cluttered attic. Angel statues and canvases scattered around the room, along with other little church items. Behind a building of clutter, she saw a female figure facing her. Kim squinted her eyes, her steps effortlessly light. Kim held the gun firmly before checking the demon knife in her waistband.

"Anna?" Kim called carefully. Her voice echoed in the empty church, the dark shadows cast over the wooden interior. She turned towards Kim and she instantly saw her hollow hazel eyes and red wavy hair, her skin was pale and her expression seemed frightened and wide-eyed.

"Are you Kimberly Harper?" she asked quickly and Kim watched, taking another step, her gun still up.

"Why?" Kim asked suspiciously, but it was all the answer Anna needed. Her eyes widened and she jerked to move forward, but the gun stopped and Kim saw her hesitation. With a quick scan of the area and Anna, Kim let her gun down and put it back in her waistband and when she did, Anna moved towards Kim.

"They don't talk about you much," she stared, her tone getting a bit frantic, "but they know of you."

"They're?" Kim asked quickly.

"The angles. They don't know much about you, and–" she looked thoughtful for a second, "and that scares them," she said spontaneously. Kim eyed her carefully, her eyes squinting at her.

"You talk to angels?" Kim questioned as she moved her hand over the gun.

"Oh, no. No, no way. Um, they probably don't even know I exist. I just kind of... overhear them," Anna continued.

"Overhear them?" Kim questioned just as footsteps could be heard charging upstairs.

"Kim!" Dean called to her as he entered the attic, calling her to move back, but she wasn't threatened.

"She's unarmed," Kim replied. "Anna, this is–"

"Sam and Dean Winchester. The Sam and Dean Winchester?" They nodded. "It's really you. Oh, my god. The angels talk about you. You were in Hell, but Castiel pulled you out, and some of them think you can help save us. And some of them don't like you at all. They talk about you all the time lately. I feel like I know you," Anna breathed in awe.

"She listens to an angel radio in her head," Kim explained as Dean and Sam walked over to Kim, standing slightly behind her.

"Yeah, they talk, and sometimes I just... hear them in my head," she explained.

"Like... right now?" Dean asked.

"Not right this second, but a lot. And I can't shut them out, there are so many of them," she whispered.

"I would imagine," Kim scoffed.

"So, they lock you up with a case of the crazies when really you were just... tuning in to angel radio?"

"Yes. Thank you," Anna nodded. It was nice for her to meet someone who understood.

"Anna, when did the voices start? Do you remember?" Sam asked gently.

"I can tell you exactly–September 18th," she replied instantly. Dean looked at Kim and sighed for that date was engraved in all of their brains.

"The day I got out of Hell," Dean breathed. Anna nodded and continued, the dark church shadows clouded her face.

"First words I heard, clear as a bell – 'Dean Winchester is saved'." Anna looked at Dean and stared deeply into his eyes. Kim swallowed a lump in her throat as Kim broke the stare between Dean and Anna.

"Uh, what have you got?" Kim asked as she looked at Sam, wondering if he had any idea what was happening.

"It's above my pay grade, man," Sam sighed.

"Well, at least now we know why the demons want you so bad. They get a hold of you, they can hear everything the other side's cooking. You're 1-900-angel," Dean continued with a laugh.

"Hey, um, do you know - are my parents okay? I didn't go home. I was afraid," Anna stuttered, a small squeak in her voice. In an instinct, the attic door burst open and Ruby charged in with a rush, her expression deadly serious.

"You got the girl. Good, let's go," she rushed as Anna cried at her appearance.

"Her face!"

"It's okay. She's here to help," Sam assured as Anna recoiled. Kim and Dean scoffed as the hot church air flurried through the open door.

"Yeah, don't be so sure," Dean scoffed.

"We have to hurry," she enthused quickly but Kim and Dean didn't bother moving.

"Why?" Kim asked and Ruby turned to her.

"Because a demon's coming - big-timer. We can fight later, Kim." Ruby turned away and moved towards the door, but yet again, Kim and Dean didn't move.

"Well, that's pretty convenient," Kim started as she looked to Dean, a suspicious look in both of their eyes.

"Showing up right when we find the girl with some bigwig on your tail?" Dean continued.

"I didn't bring him here. You did," Ruby scoffed as she looked at Dean.

"What?"

"He followed you from the girl's house." Kim looked to Dean with an unimpressed look. "We got to go now." She seemed scared, but what a coward like Ruby was scared of never feared Kim. She enthused to be better than Ruby in every sense of the word.

The worry in Ruby's voice was sickening to Kim, but it worried Sam considering he trust her.

"Dean," Sam breathed, grabbing his brothers attention. All heads snapped towards Sam, their eyes following where he was pointing. A statue of an angel, bleeding from the eyes. The blood trickled down the lifeless statue and upon her cheeks.

"It's too late. He's here," Ruby breathed, looking around anxiously. Quickly, Kim, the closest to Anna grabbed her and hid her in a nearby closet.

"Stay in there. Don't move," Kim orders as Anna nodded frantically.

"Okay."

Kim turned around and marched up to Sam and Dean, her holy water out from her pocket as was Sam's. She was prepared for anything, her demon knife in her other hand. Everyone was looking around furiously. The tension was building, they knew they were here.

"No, Sam, you got to pull him right away," Ruby ordered and Dean heard, all his attention turned to Ruby.

"Whoa, hold on a sec."

"Now's not the time to bellyache about Sam going dark side. He does his thing, he exorcises that demon, or we die," Ruby yelled at him, the worry in her eyes convinced Sam to put the flask away. Kim grabbed her chain anxiously. She speaks of this creature powerfully, like nothing they had ever faced before.

The doors burst open and a long-faced demon burst into the room, an evil fury upon his smirking lips. Kim watched with Dean hopelessly as Sam shrew his arm up and pushed to exorcize the demon, but the demon shivered. With a sense of worry, Kim handed defenceless Dean the demon knife. He looked at her as he reluctantly wrapped his hand around the knife. A worried expression shivered over his face.

"No," Dean said quickly, giving the knife back.

"Dean–"

"No, you are keeping the knife and using it."

"There's no time to argue, Dean," she let the knife go into his hand as Sam dropped his arm, painfully.

"That tickles. You don't have the juice to take me on, Sam," Alastair chuckled evilly and threw Sam downstairs. Dean charged forward with the knife, attempting to swing at him and with a simple block and punch, Alastair had won the fight. Kim reached for her gun and aimed it up at the demon. From across the room, Kim pulled out her gun. Knowing it would do nothing to hurt him, she pulled the trigger, hoping it would distract him from Dean, but with a squeeze of his hand, Kim's throat was clutched. He lifted her in the air as her legs dangled and he threw her across the room, her head smacking against a wooden panel wall.

She fell to the ground with a large groan, a scream of protest escaped Dean. Kim laid still, a pounding started in the back of her head, she fluttered her eyes open just in time to watch Ruby grab Anna violently from the closet. She went to move, but her body was so sore, her brain and vision were fuzzy and it hurt to think of moving.

"Hello again, Dean," Alastair greeted as she moved towards Dean. "Come on, Dean. Don't you recognise me?" he smirked as Dean looked disgusted. "Oh, I forgot–I'm wearing a pediatrician. But we were so close... in Hell."

"Alastair," Dean seethed. Kim wobbled to her feet, her brain throbbing with pain. Unstable, she watched as Sam stabbed Alastair with the demon knife in the back, a ting of orange sparked through him.

"You're gonna have to try a whole lot harder than that, son," Alastair smirked as Kim wobbled on her feet, the glare in Deans eyes called her over as Alastair struggled with the knife in his shoulder. Sam ran over to Dean, making sure he's okay when the two of them looked at a window on the other side of the room.

Kim swallowed a lump in her throat, not sure she would survive the fall, but most importantly, Kim wouldn't leave without her knife. She ached, and swore, and shivered in pain as she tried running towards the knife. She limped over in an attempt to run and charged for her knife, still in the shoulder of Alastair. She wouldn't leave without it, it wasn't an option; she had just got it back.

With all the energy she had, she moved towards Sam and Dean to grab her knife. Instantly, Dean grabbed Kim and Sam grabbed Dean and they plunged themselves out of the church window as Alastair pulled the knife out of his back.

Kim dropped, the air rushed through her as she reached for the knife as she fell. She hit the ground hard, her damaged head smashed against the grass. Her blurry eyes looked up at the broken window. Pieces of glass stuck out of her. Her hands empty, her knife gone.

•※•

The three of them found their way to the motel room, all of them stumbling after the fall. Kim was constantly fizzy, her headache throbbing every time she opened her eyes. It was blankly obvious by her groans and moans that she had a small concussion. Kim laid on the bed, slowly and painfully pulling out the pieces of glass out of her leg and stomach as Sam stitched himself up. He cringed as he pulled a metal piece through his forearm, stitching up his wound as Dean spat out a mouth if blood in the bathroom sink.

Kim moaned as she pulled out a huge shard of glass that stuck out of her leg. Blood poured from her wound and onto the bed as Kim placed pressure on her wound, unable to do anything else. She laid there, blood covering her hand as she focused on her breathing, she couldn't sit up.

"Sam," she breathed, looking at him. He had just finished his arm when he looked at her, the blood covering the bed.

"Shit, Kim," Sam swore as he quickly cleaned himself up and got another needle ready. He moved over to Kim, sitting next to her as she laid down. Her hand was still holding her wound as Sam inspected the area. Sam was about to move Kim's hand when Dean sounded from the bathroom.

"Are you almost done?" Dean called through the door.

"I'm done but Kim isn't," Sam explained. The bathroom door opened as Dean excited, looking at the crimson coloured bed.

"Shit, Kim." Kim wanted to laugh, but it hurt too much. "I got a dislocated shoulder over here, pop it in and have a shower, I'll fix Kim." Dean picked up the Whisky bottled as Sam moved from Kim to Dean. As Sam moved, Kim groaned in pain.

"Gimme that," Sam groaned, gesturing for the Whisky. After taking a swing, he poured some on his cut and Kim's. Kim moaned in pain as she felt the Whisky being poured on her, causing her to jerk up.

"So, you lost the magic knife, huh?" Dean said, addressing the elephant in the room. Kim huffed a laugh, in too much pain to do anything else.

"Don't remind me," Kim huffed a cried laugh, the thought was too painful to think about as she laughed away the pain.

"Who the hell was that demon?" Sam asked Dean, changing the subject as Kim held her wound.

"No one good," Dean said as Sam moved over to Dean's shoulder, holding it firmly.

"Can you guys hurry up, I can't feel my legs," Kim sighed exhaustedly.

"Come on Sammy," Dean said as Sam quickly pushed Dean's shoulder into place. Dean bit back a wince as Sam released his shoulder. Dean looked down, slightly recovering from the pain as Kim let out a reminding wince

"I'm gonna take a shower," Sam said as he moved into the bathroom. Dean looked up at Kim who was still holding her wound. Slowly, he stalked towards her, gentle sitting beside her. His eyes scanned her covered legs. Her jeans were ruined from the blood and glass wound but she was lucky to only have one deep gash. Without permission, Dean quickly picked up Kim's legs and swung them over his lap, so that he could access the wound better.

"Ouch," Kim hissed at the sudden movement, but Dean didn't respond. Kim leaned back on her hands as her legs draped over Dean's lap, slowly breathing at the intensity of the situation. Dean moved the ripped piece of jean from the wound as he inspected the area. It was still seeping blood and pressure wasn't helping, the wound was too deep.

"I need to take off your pants," Dean instructed, looking into Kim's eyes. Kim was a bit taken back but the demanding tome in his voice, but the pain overtook her state of self-consciousness and nodded as Dean slowly moved to her waist. Carefully and slowly, Dean unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans and with a gentle tug, he began to remove them.

He tugged softly, she winced every few seconds. His fingers brushed against her skin as he wiggled the waistband over her thighs. He was moving painfully slow as his touch lingered on her skin. Dean made the mistake of looking up, he eyed her pained expression. The pants were at her knees, Dean had successfully remove the jeans from around her wound, but they were already halfway down her legs and it would be inappropriate not to finish the job.

With a slow motion, Dean dragged off her jeans. With one hand, he lifted her legs as the other pulled the jeans off. Gently, he placed her legs back on his lap as he inspected the wound.

"How the hell did you manage to do this, Kim," Dean breathed as he poured more Whisky on the wound.

"Oh, you know, being chucked out of a window might do the trick," Kim winced but managed a laugh.

Dean's eyes examined her toned legs. His eyes found her wound but as he got the needle ready, they involuntarily made their way up her thighs and to her hips and it wasn't long until Dean discovered what colour underwear she was wearing. He swallowed a lump in his throat.

Without warning, Dean pierced the needle into her skin, but Kim managed the pain and bit by bit–after what seemed like hours which was actually half an hour–Dean had finished sewing her wound and Kim had begun to feel her legs again as Dean put a bandage around her wound. She smiled and swung her legs off Dean, but continued to wince.

"What's wrong?" Dean asked as Kim hunched slightly.

"Just a bruised rib, I can feel it," she sighed, getting up and limping to the fridge to get some frozen peas and hold them to her stomach. She looked up at Dean, a sour look in her eyes as Dean looked slightly sorry for her. "It's not that bad," she huffed.

She didn't fool him.


	45. Chapter Forty-Three

Minutes had passed and Kim had managed to scavenge a pair of clean sweatpants from Dean's duffel bag, the frozen peas still pressed to her ribs when Sam walked out of the bathroom, his wet hair dangling in his shoulders. His eyes scanned the silent room when he saw Kim all patched up and sore.

"Why the peas?" he asked.

"Bruised ribs," Kim shrugged and he nodded before he looked to find her wound, but it was covered by her pants.

"All stitched up?" he asked as Kim squinted her eyes slightly.

"Yep." Sam nodded once.

"We got to find Anna," Dean intervened.

"Ruby's got her. I'm sure she's okay," Sam shrugged, seemingly unbothered.

"That's reassuring," Kim scoffed. "Trust the demon to keep the angel radio girl away from the demons."

"She's not that bad, Kim," Sam scoffed.

"You sure about Ruby? 'Cause I think it's just as likely she used us to find radio girl and then brought that demon in to kill us," Dean continued.

"No, she took Anna to keep her safe."

"Yeah. Well, why hasn't she called to tell us where she is?" Dean interrogated but Sam was convinced Ruby was all she said she was.

"Because that demon is probably watching us right now, waiting to follow us right back to Anna again. That's why he let us go," Sam explained.

"You call this letting us go?" he gestured to Kim who was still hunched.

"Yeah, I do. Look, killing us would've been no problem to that thing. That's why, for now, we just got to lay low and wait for Ruby to contact us," Sam said rather calmly.

"Or wait for Ruby to give all of her demon friends the information they need before killing her," Kim shrugged calmly, mimicking Sam.

"How's she gonna do that?" There was a pause. "Why do you trust her so much?"

"I told you," Sam said as he looked at Kim, her words repeating in his head about how she knew more than he'd like.

"You got to do better than that," Dean said quickly, walking towards him. "Hey, and I'm not trying to pick a fight here. I mean, I really want to understand. But I need to know more. I mean, I deserve to know more." Sam looked down as he sat on the bed in thought before looking up with a sigh.

"Because... she saved my life."

Kim looked at Sam to catch his gaze, his worried look met hers. He was worried her words were true, she had the reputation of being able to do things without them knowing, and it was true. Kim knew more than he would like her to know, she also knew more than she would like to know but either way, she proceeded to listen to him explain himself and come clean to Dean and herself.

She knew that Sam was drunk or drinking the whole time Dean was away. She knew Ruby was back the day she left Hell with a new vessel. She knew that Sam originally wanted to kick her out when she said that she couldn't bring Dean back from Hell. She knew that Ruby sucked up to Lilith to get another chance topside. She knew Ruby encouraged Sam with his abilities. She knew that Sam used Ruby for some... personal benefits. She knew all the little things Sam was afraid of, but he had just admitted to them.

"Sam?" Dean interrupted and Sam stopped explaining instantly.

"Yeah?" Sam asked.

"Too much information," Dean cringed as Kim scoffed, his last words describing how he screwed Ruby.

"Hey, I told you I was coming clean," Sam shrugged softly.

"Yeah, but now I feel dirty," Dean cringed. "And you knew... this," Dean asked, gesturing to Sam.

"Most of it," Kim nodded.

"Okay, well, uh, brain-stabbing imagery aside... So far, all you've told me about is a manipulative bitch who, uh, screwed you, played mind games with you, and did everything in the book to get you to go bad," Dean listed.

"Yeah, well, there's more to the story," Sam continued hesitantly.

"Just... skip the nudity, please," Dean begged.

"Pretty soon after... that, um... I put together some signs... Omens," Sam continued.

"Saying what?" Dean asked quickly.

"Lilith was in town. And I wanted to strike her first," Sam said deadly serious. Dean's face fell with immense concern and worry for his brother as he listened, wondering why he would be stupid enough to suggest an idea like that.

"You let him do this?" Dean asked rapidly.

"Hey!" Kim said quickly, putting her hands up in surrender. "I had my own stuff on. I wasn't spying on him every second of every day," Kim justified as she remembered the Trickster.

"Nothing happened anyway. I went to fight her with Ruby but she wasn't there so, I just exorcised a demon." Sam sighed as he remembered what happened.

"With your mind," Dean added.

"Ruby came back for me and saved my life. Whatever you have to say, she saved me. More than that, she got through to me. What she said to me... It's what you would've said. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here."

"Housekeeping," a maid called from outside the door.

"Not now!" Dean shouted.

"Sir, I've got clean towels," the maid continued as Dean marched over to open the door; the maid entered.

"Couldn't you just leave 'em at the door?" Dean asked viciously as the maid walked in.

"I'm at this address," the maid said quickly.

"I'm sorry. What?" Sam asked the maid, slightly confused.

"Go now. Go through the bathroom window, don't stop, don't take your car, don't pass go. There are demons in the hallway and in the parking lot," the woman continued quickly as Kim shot up.

"Ruby?" Sam asked.

"Okay, yes, so I'm possessing this maid for a hot minute. Sue me," Ruby snapped.

"What about -"

"Coma girl? Slowly rotting on the floor back at the cabin with Anna, so I've got to hurry back. See you when you get there. Go!" Ruby screamed at them as they scrambled to gather everything they had to leave. From the bed, Kim watched Ruby suspiciously. It disgusted her that even in a new vessel, she was able to recognise the facial expressions she made. Ruby caught her gaze and the meeting of their eyes only8 made Kim seeth more, the knife she lost lingering in Ruby's iris'.

•※•

The three of them were on their way to the cabin to meet Ruby, under the hesitance of Kim and Dean of course. Kim would always be against anything that came out of the mouth of that demon and she had found herself questioning her alliance with the Winchesters everytime she was forced to follow her. Ruby had her debating whether the solo life was actually preferred over the team where she had the time of day to figure out her own problems. Silently, Kim was glad that the supernatural world was focused on Sam and Dean, the chosen ones, instead of herself and whatever she was.

"Glad you could make it," Ruby sassed as she walked over to the three of them.

"Yeah, thanks. Anna, are you okay?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. I think so. Ruby's not like other demons. She saved my life," Anna praised as Kim crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. Ruby scoffed at Kim's reaction and Kim noticed and was about to respond.

"Yeah, I hear she does that. I guess I... You know," Dean stammered, too ashamed to admit he was thanking a demon.

"What?"

"I guess I owe you for... Sam. And I just wanted... you know..."

"Don't strain yourself," Ruby huffed as he stammered.

"Okay, then. Is the moment over?" Ruby nodded. "Good, 'cause that was awkward." Kim stood there, furious. The rage was pure and evident just by her expression, let alone the blood rushing through her causing her face to go red.

"Really Dean. You're thanking Ruby," Kim asked with an offended huff. "The bitch that lied to Sam, beat you up and stole my knife." Dean didn't respond.

"I guess I just have a way with people," she smirked.

"You could get the Pope to say you're a freaking God's gift to this Earth and my opinion of you will never change," Kim scoffed full of rage. Her face was fury red and she could feel her body tingling with anger. "You stole my knife!" Kim's voice boomed violently around the room, a light shade of blue light up her eyes when she screamed; everyone had noticed. There was a silence in the room as Kim's words settled, her heavy breathing the only sound to be heard as she stared at Ruby. Ruby stepped back a bit. She had seen Kim's eyes, just as everyone else.

"They're coming," Anna said frantically as she looked around the cabin, the room starts to shake.

"Backroom," Dean ordered Sam who took Anna to the back room.

"Where's the knife?" Ruby asked frantically, a raw rage grew in Kim when she heard Ruby talk about the knife as if it was her own.

"Uh... about that..." Dean laughed awkwardly.

"You're kidding," Ruby sighed angrily.

"You don't get to talk about my knife as if it's yours. It's gone, okay. Let's move on before I break someone's nose," Kim breathed as she looked around, the room started to shake more violently.

"Great. Just peachy. Impeccable timing, guys, really," Ruby sighed. The door started to rattle. It burst open as a blinding white light poured in from behind it, Castiel and Uriel walked in.

"Please tell me you're here to help. We've been having demon issues all day," Dean begged.

"Well, I can see that. You want to explain why you have that stain in the room?" Uriel asked, his eyes pointing to Ruby as if she was a vermin in the presence of God.

"We're here for Anna," Castiel replied, rather straight-faced.

"Why do you want her?" Kim asked quickly.

"Stop talking," Uriel ordered. "Give her to us."

"Are you gonna help her?" Sam asked quickly, his stance turned slightly protective.

No, she has to die," Castiel nodded.

"Why?" Kim asked angrily.

"Out of the way," Uriel ordered, his voice booming with anger.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Okay, I know she's wiretapping your angel chats or whatever, but it's no reason to gank her," Dean continued.

"Don't worry. I'll kill her gentle," Uriel said, inhumanely. Kim spat at him as he approached.

"Hell no," Kim stood by Sam, blocking the way.

"You're some heartless sons of bitches, you know that?" Dean screamed.

"As a matter of fact, we are. And?" Castiel tested carefully as if it was a test to see what would happen.

"And? Anna's an innocent girl," Sam argued.

"She is far from innocent," Castiel confirmed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kim asked curiously.

"It means she's worse than this abomination you've been screwing. Now give us the girl," Uriel screamed but no one flinched. His power was not usually so overlooked by a human.

"Sorry. Get yourself another one. Try JDate," Dean nodded, unfazed.

"Who's gonna stop us? You three? Or this demon whore?" Uriel laughed as Kim stepped forward.

"Why not?" Kim shrugged, just as casual as Dean was. It was instant when Uriel threw Ruby against the wall. Dean ran up and attacked Uriel, swinging a punch in his direction, Kim joined the fight.

"Cas, stop...please," Sam begged as he looked at Castiel, hoping that he would show some angelic mercy; but Castiel stared into Sam's eyes emotionlessly and press two fingers to his forehead. Sam dropped to the floor, unconscious.

Uriel punched Dean and he stumbled backwards. Kim sent a kick to Uriel and hit him straight in the gut but he didn't even flinch. With an unbothered swish of his fingers, he sent Kim flying against the wall. Her sore back ached, her head began throbbing worse than before and she landed on her bruised ribs; she was in utter pain.

"I've been waiting for this," Uriel smirked, about to kill Dean and Kim charged towards them, a burst of light spurred from the backroom and engulfed Uriel and Castiel and they disappear, bursting into the light.

"What the..." Dean breathed as Kim stumbled around, her brain still fuzzy from the concussion as she watched Dean help Ruby to her feet. Kim stumbled her way towards the back room as Ruby and Dean kneeled next to Sam.

Kim burst into the back room looking for Anna to make sure she was okay when she saw blood dripping from the mirror. Her eyes looked fuzzily around the room as she searched for Anna.

"Anna," Kim called out as she saw blood dripping from Anna's hand as she pressed her bloody palm against a sigil she drew with blood on the mirror.

"Are they - are they gone?" she stuttered as she looked closely behind Kim.

"Did you kill them?" Kim asked, looking at her in awe, barely able to hold herself up. Her knees buckled underneath her weight.

"No. I sent them away... far away," Anna replied with no further explanation.

"You want to tell me how?" Kim asked as she moved closer, a wrapping Anna's hand in a piece of cloth she found. Kim surprised herself by being able to walk straight, considering she couldn't tell which way was up or down.

"That just popped in my head. I don't know how I did it. I just did it." Kim nodded, her eyes not focusing on Anna in front of her. She couldn't focus on anything, her brain was throbbing. A noise creaked from the doorway and Kim turned slowly to see Dean. With a quick stumble, Kim fell to the floor.

•※•

It had been a few hours since Kim had passed out and the boys had taken Kim and Anna to Bobby's house. Dean gently picked Kim up and carried her from the Impala to the house and carefully placed her on Bobby's old and itchy couch. He watched her as she laid limp on the couch, as if she was dead, before shaking his head of such thoughts and going to the basement with Sam, Ruby and Anna.

Kim woke up with a jolt. She looked around violently as she took in her new surroundings. Kim's fingers scraped against the itchy couch and she saw the messy desk in the room and recognised the house as Bobby's but she didn't see anyone around. Getting up, she winced slightly at the pain in her rib area and the throbbing in her brain. Although her symptoms had settled they hadn't gone completely. Groaning, she got up and walked around the house, trying to find someone; she heard a noise from the basement.

Going down the stairs, she began to hear voices of panic. Kim instantly slowed down, taking each step carefully to make sure no one heard her. She reached for her gun, but it wasn't in her waistband. She had nothing with her. Sighing, she crept downstairs unarmed, the voices were familiar.

"Don't be afraid, I'm not like the others," a family voice said as Kim looked around the corner. Ruby, Sam, Dean and Pamela were there and Kim lowered her guard although all of them seemed pretty tense.

"I don't find that very reassuring," Ruby replied cautiously.

"Neither do I," Pamela replied. There was a silence as Kim took the last step, landing on the basement floor. "Kim, nice of you to come."

Pamela turned around to face Kim, black sunglasses covered her blind eyes. Everyone's head snapped towards Kim as she walked towards them.

"Pamela," Kim greeted as she made her way to stand next to Dean. "Why you here?"

"Boys over here called me to work on Anna," Pamela explained as Kim listened.

"Turns out she's a fallen angel," Dean continued as Kim raised an eyebrow.

"Great, that's just perfect. There's more of them," Kim sighed angrily. There was a silence as Kim caught up, making a viable move to take a step away from Anna.

"So...Castiel, Uriel - they're the ones that came for me?" Anna asked.

"You know them?"

"We were kind of in the same foxhole," Anna explained.

"So, what, were they like your bosses or something?" Dean asked as they stared at her.

"Try the other way around," Anna continued with a laugh.

"Look at you," Dean smiled awkwardly.

"But now they want to kill you?" Pamela asked.

"Orders are orders. I'm sure I have a death sentence on my head," Anna explained. Kim watched as her posture changed from the last time they spoke. Her voice was more proper and her words were less casual.

"Why?"

"I disobeyed... which, for us, is about the worst thing you can do," Anna continued, her head tilted down. "I fell."

"Meaning?"

"She fell to Earth, became human," Kim explained, knowing exactly what she meant. Kim's knowledge of angles was not lacking.

"Wait a minute. I don't understand. So, angels can just become human?" Sam asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"It kind of hurts. Try cutting your kidney out with a butter knife. That kind of hurt. I ripped out my grace," Anna explained with a face of hurt.

"Come again?" Dean questioned.

"Grace, humans have souls, angles have grace. It's an energy form," Kim explained as they looked to her. Dean furrowed his eyebrows at her, eyeing her suspiciously as Anna did.

"Hacked it out and fell. My mother, Amy, couldn't get pregnant. Always called me her little miracle. She had no idea how right she was," Anna said, more cautiously this time, her eyes draping over Kim.

"So, you just forgot that you were God's little Power Ranger?" Dean scoffed.

"The older I got, the longer I was human, yeah."

"I don't think you all appreciate how completely screwed we are," Ruby sighed as she dragged her hand through her hair.

"Ruby's right. Heaven wants me dead," Anna continued. Kim never thought she'd hear an angel agree with a demon; times have been getting weird.

"And Hell just wants her. A flesh-and-blood angel that you can question, torture, that bleeds. Sister, you're the Stanley Cup. And sooner or later, Heaven or Hell, they're gonna find you," Ruby established.

"I know. And that's why I'm gonna get it back," Anna nodded affirmatively.

"What?" Kim asked, shocked. "I didn't even know you could do that."

"If I can find it," Anna nodded.

"So, what, you're just gonna take some divine bong hit, and, shazam, you're Roma Downey?" Dean sassed.

"Something like that."

"All right. I like this plan. So, where's this grace of yours?" Dean said.

"Lost track. I was falling about 10,000 miles per hour at the time."

"Wait. You mean falling, like, literally?" Sam gawked.

"Yes."

"Like the way a human eye can see? Like a comet, maybe, or a meteor?"

"Why do you ask?"

•※•

It was night as Sam stood at Bobby's desk, surrounded by old magazines and book. It had taken a while for Kim to wrap her head fully around everything that just happened, but no matter how big the situation is there always seemed to be something bigger around the corner and Kim began to feel desensitised to what was happening.

Whatever was happening to her seemed to be getting strong, yet no one seemed to notice. She preferred it that way, although she noticed Dean and Ruby eyeing her suspiciously when she spoke.

"Here. In March '85, a meteorite vanished in the night sky over northwestern Ohio. It was sighted nine months before Anna was born, and she was born in that part of Ohio," Sam explained, showing them a magazine form the year Anna was born.

"You're pretty buff for a nerd," Ruby huffed as Sam rolled his eyes.

"Look, I think it was Anna and here, same time - another meteor over Kentucky," Sam continued.

"And that's her grace?" Dean asked.

"Might be," Sam shrugged.

"All right. That just narrows it down to an entire state." Kim rolled her eyes.

"Look, it's a start," Sam nodded. There was a silence as they split off into separate groups to research. The dim orange light up the room Dean and Kim were in while Ruby pulled Sam off into another room. Kim sighed as she pulled out a magazine that might indicate where her grace was.

Plonking herself on a kitchen chair, she dropped the magazine on the table with a loud flop and flipped open the first page. Dean stood around Kim awkwardly, not saying a word, no sitting down to research. He just looked at Kim as she read, squinting his eyes. The light glistened from her pin.

With a loud and attention-catching noise, Dean pulled the chair out and sat down on it, opposite Kim so that they were face to face. Kim looked up at him, not paying much attention to him before looking back at the helpless magazine.

"Three years," Dean stated as Kim looked up again slowly. An expression on his face she detected as annoyed. "I met you when you were eighteen and now you're twenty-one. It's been three years and I had no idea you knew so much about Angels." Kim looked at him blankly as furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"Well, it's more like two years, actually. I was almost nineteen when we met," Kim corrected, looking up to meet Dean's unimpressed eyes. She sighed, giving him some of the information he wanted. "Demons, Angels and flesh-eating monsters are my forte," she said simply, a slight smile on her lips, but Dean stayed serious. "What's your point?"

"My point is that it's been three years, we've been through some... well what I would describe as some pretty traumatic experiences–" Kim looked down at the thought, "and we still don't know what's going on with you."

"Why do you care?" Kim shrugged. "This is about Sam. Lilith wants Sam; you're important to God for some reason; Sam's screwing a demon and drinking demon blood and is planned to lead the underworld in the Apocalypse; you rose from Hell; we have Angels on our ass and now we have to find some fallen angels grace!" Kim babbled angrily. "I think I'm the least of those problems."

"Your eyes flashed blue!" Dean yelled at her, standing up from his seat. Kim was taken back, not sure what he was talking about.

"What?" she breathed.

"When you were screaming at Ruby your eyes flashed blue. Like, vibrant, supernatural blue," Dean continued, calming down a little.

"My eyes a brown."

"I know!" Dean huffed as he threw his hand up. "That's what I'm saying, Kim. Things are happening with us and I get it, but we can't ignore what's happening to you."

•※•

Kim didn't reply after that and Kim had continued to research because although Dean wanted to pay more attention to Kim, everyone else's mind was wrapped around Anna and Dean had to drive Pamela back to her home. Half an hour later, Sam and Ruby walked into the room with Anna soon following.

"Pamela get home okay?" Anna asked when she didn't see her in the room.

"Yeah. She said she was sorry. It's just after last time, she, uh... This is just a little too rich for her blood," Dean excused her.

"A little?" Kim scoffed as she folded her arms, a small smirk on her lips.

"I don't blame her. You guys should do the same," Anna encouraged gravely.

"Well, we're not that smart. Can I ask you something? What do they want me for? Why did they save me?" Dean asked, trying to get some answers while he can. The rest of them listened.

"I'm sorry. The angels aren't talking about it. And it was after I fell," Anna sighed.

"That's another question. Why would you fall? Why would you want to be one of us?" Kim scoffed.

"You don't mean that," Anna consoled.

"I don't?" Kim scoffed.

"A bunch of miserable bastards... eating, crapping, confused, afraid," Dean continued as he scoffed.

"I don't know. There's loyalty... forgiveness... love," Anna awed as she listed all the emotions angels were incapable of feeling.

"Pain."

"Chocolate cake."

"Guilt."

"Sex."

"Yeah, you got me there," Dean laughed, his eyes wandering to Kim quickly. Kim listened to Anna gawk and awe over little thing imperfect human feel every day.

Love; it's warm a cozy. Relaxation overcomes and squeezes your heart. It made you want to die but reminds you that there's something to live for.

Guilt; such a simple and easily manipulated emotion. A heart crushing feeling that causes a panic of regret and if manipulated correctly could change one decision instantly.

"I mean it. Every emotion, even the bad ones... It's why I fell. It's why... why I'd give anything not to have to go back. Anything," Anna cooed.

"Feelings are overrated, if you ask me," Dean rasped.

"Beats being an angel." Anna looked at Kim as she listened to them.

"How's that possible? You guys are powerful and perfect. You don't doubt yourselves or God or anything," Dean said as Kim and Anna scoffed.

"Perfect... Like a marble statue. Cold... no choice... only obedience," Anna replied, looking off. "Do you know how many angels have actually seen God? Seen his face?"

"The archangels," Kim replied as Anna nodded.

"Exacually," Anna nodded. "Only four."

"That's it? Well, then how do you even know that there is a God?" Dean asked.

"We have to take it on faith... Which we're killed if we don't have," Anna replied.

"Huh," he huffed.

"I was stationed on earth 2,000 years. Just... watching... silent... invisible... out on the road... sick for home... waiting on orders from an unknowable father I can't begin to understand. So don't tell me that -" she was cut off by Dean laughing. "What is so funny? What?"

"Nothing. Sorry. It's just...I can relate," Dean laughed as he shook his head slowly, looking at Kim who just nodded her head in confirmation just as Sam walked in.

"Hey," Sam greeted.

"Did you find something?" Dean asked.

"I think so."

•※•

"Union, Kentucky. Found some accounts of a local miracle," Sam explained as he looked through his research.

"Yeah?" Kim asked.

"Yeah. In '85, there was an empty field outside of town. Six months later, there was a full-grown oak. They say it looks a century old at least," Sam awed.

"Do you think your grace could do something like that?" Kim asked.

"The grace. Where it hit, it could have done something like that, easy," Anna nodded.

"So grace ground zero - it's not destruction. It's..." Dean mumbled off.

"Pure creation."

•※•

It's night and the five of them sat in the Impala. Kim sat in the middle of the car, surrounded by Ruby and Anna. Her shoulders were touching and her legs were overlapping. Kim was extremely uncomfortable and awkward and for the first time, she regretted getting in the back seat. Dean was driving, and like he always did, he looked in the rearview mirror at Kim and smiled at how uncomfortable she looked.

"What?" Kim asked testingly.

"Nothing, just admiring how awkward you look," he laughed before looking back at the road. Kim scoffed and looked away as she shuffled her shoulder to get them in a more comfortable position. She hated being seated next to Ruby, touching her and being close to her, it made Kim feel disgusting but she had to deal with it until they got to the oak tree.

It took a while and night turned into day before they reached their destination. Kim's eyes began to feel heavy, her muscles sore and tired, but she was sitting next to two creatures that don't sleep. She tried her best not to close her eyes so she kept her mind occupied with different things, but she began to feel an intense feeling as they got closer to the spot and eventually they made it

"It's beautiful," Dean awed at the beautiful oak tree that grew. It was huge and glowing, taller than any other tree Kim had seen before. Its branches crawled out the top and reached for the sun; an angelic glow shone through the gaps. She could feel it.

"It's where the grace touched down. I can feel it," Anna nodded, looking at the tree.

"You ready to do this?" Dean asked.

"Not really," Anna sighed.

"Anna, what are we even looking for?" Dean asked as Anna walked to the tree, placing her hand on the trunk, her expression dropped

"It doesn't matter. It's not here. Not anymore. Someone took it."

They all stood in awe for a bit as they stared at the tree in denial. Anna grace was missing, she couldn't angel up and they were screwed. Heaven and Hell were after them, and not only for the reasons they were thinking.

Later they found a barn to hide in. It was huge and old, wooden panels plastered the walls and ceilings and a permanent eerie shadow dwindles across the large area, quite similar to the barn Dean and Kim summoned Castiel in.

"We still got the hex bags. I say we head back to the panic room," Dean suggested as he spoke about the hex bags Ruby gave them in order to hide from the angles.

"What, forever?" Ruby scoffed.

"I'm just thinking out loud!" Dean huffed.

"Oh, you call that thinking?" The two of them bickered annoyingly as Kim leaned up against a barn panel with her arms crossed. Kim would have gladly joined Dean in his argument with Ruby, she would never give up the opportunity to yell at Ruby but she hated her so much that she could barely even look at her; Kim was still upset about losing her knife, but she swore to get it back. She just had to quickly finish up this whole angel situation and find that bastard Alastair with or without the Winchesters. They had dragged her along with them long enough and Kim was ready to go solo again.

The loss of her knife angered her more than others had anticipated but it wasn't the physical loss of the knife that annoyed her, it was the fact that she had failed and her father was, once again, in Hell for no reason. She should have killed Ruby when she had the chance, at least she would have done one thing to be proud of, then.

"Anna's grace is gone. You understand? She can't angel up. She can't protect us. We can't fight Heaven and Hell. One side maybe, but not both. Not at once," Ruby panted, a quiver of anxiety in her tone, but Kim couldn't care less.

"Um... guys? The angels are talking again," Anna announced.

"What are they saying?" Sam asked quickly.

"It's weird... Like a recording... a loop. It says, 'Dean Winchester gives us Anna by midnight, or...'" Anna started but mumbled off.

"Or what?" Dean coaxed.

"'...or we hurl him back to damnation.'" Anna mumbled, her eyes wide in shock.

"Do you know of any weapon that works on an angel? To what? To kill them?" Sam asked as Kim shook her head.

"If a man had to sell his soul for a god damn demon blade, do you really think getting an angel blade is possible?" Kim asked testingly.

"Come on, we have to think of something!" They paced for hours, the frustration and complexity had exhausted everyone as well as they hadn't slept for a few days, they were running off adrenaline that was slowly dwindling. Dean was exhausted and had fallen asleep sitting against the wall, as was Sam. Kim was the only one awake, too busy thinking about what a mess her life was.

Kim stayed awake the whole night, even after Anna was asleep, it was just her and Ruby for a few hours as she ripped off her nails, doing anything to avoid a conversation with Ruby. Kim had her head down, looking at the floor, her black straight hair fell over her face as the soft clack of Ruby pacing sounded. It was weird, but Kim sensed a bit of fear in Ruby.

Kim sighed and went to sit against the wall, the silence filled the barn and Kim began to feel her eyelids get heavier; she embraced sleep heartedly.

"Where's Ruby?" Sam's voice echoed in the barn as Kim fluttered her eyes open. The light blinded her as she opened her eyes and she shielded them with her hand.

"She disappeared sometime around... four in the morning," Kim shrugged as she laid limp against the wall, letting her head smack against the wood. Lazily, Kim looked at her phone and saw the time.

"Why were you up at four in the morning?" Dean asked as he moved over to her as she got up.

"Did she tell you where she was going?" Sam asked before Kim could respond.

"Yeah, and we had a lovely little chat and hugged it out. No, of course not," Kim huffed and rolled her eyes, stretching as she tried to wake herself up. "She'll be b-" Instantly, the door burst open with a flash and smashed against the walls. All head snapped in the direction of the sound, here stood two too familiar figures.

"Hello, Anna. It's good to see you," Castiel nodded singularly before his eyes floated to Kim.

"How? How did you find us?" Sam gawked as he looked around the room. There was a pause. "Dean?"

"I'm sorry," Dean whispered to Anna, genuinely apologetic.

"Why?" Sam asked desperately.

"Because they gave him a choice. They either kill me... or kill you. I know how their minds work," Anna replied. Dean bowed his head slightly, shame over his expression. "You did the best you could. I forgive you. Okay. No more tricks. No more running. I'm ready."

Kim watched as Castiel bowed his head and sighed.

"I'm sorry."

"No. You're not. Not really. You don't know the feeling," Anna announced factually.

"Still, we have a history. It's just -"

"Orders are orders. I know. Just make it quick." Anna walked up to Castiel and braced herself, she knew what was about to come and she knew that there was no use in running. Just as Castiel was about to strike, Alastair, a bleeding Ruby and another demon appeared in the room with a cocky smirk on Alastairs lips.

"Don't you touch a hair on that poor girl's head," Alastair ordered as he stopped Castiel.

"How dare you come in this room... you passing sore," Uriel announced as Alastair tilted his head confidently.

"Name-calling. That hurt my feelings... You sanctimonious, fanatical prick," Alastair smirked.

"Turn around and walk away now," Castiel ordered but his tone did nothing to the demon.

"Sure. Just give us the girl. We'll make sure she gets punished good and proper."

"You know who we are and what we will do. I won't say it again. Leave now... or we lay you to waste."

"Think I'll take my chances," Alastair smirked and lunged at Castiel as the angels and demons began to fight. Echoes of extravagant power radiated from them as they flung each other against the walls, exorcising who they could.

"Potestas inferna, me confirma. Potestas inferna, me confirma. Potestas inferna, me confirma!" Alastair yelled as he tried to exorcise Castiel, but Dean quickly hit him over the head with a crowbar.

"Dean, Dean, Dean... I am so disappointed. You had such promise," Alastair announced before attacking Dean. Kim ran up to him and kicked his legs in, causing him to stumble away from Dean, giving him the chance he needed to escape. While he was down Kim searched him for her knife quickly, but was ended up being thrown against the hard barn wall, the wooden panel smashed int her back.

Kim fell to the floor as a bright light shone through the barn; Anna had received her grave and smashed the glass container it was in.

"Shut your eyes. Shut your eyes! Shut your eyes!" Anna yelled as Kim shielded her head with her arms. A blinding light shone from Anna's body making Alastair's meatsuit disintegrate, leaving the Kinfe of Kurds unattended. Kim, from her unstable position, lunged at the knife, seeing it lying unattended on the floor, still attempting to cover her eyes. The light blinded her view of her blade and she was forced to shut her eyes. Her hands felt around the ground for it until she felt in her palm once again and she sighed in relief, holding it in her tightest grip. The light consumed the barn before Anna consumed the light and Kim got up from her position.

"Well, what are you guys waiting for? Go get Anna. Unless, of course, you're scared," Dean smirked, his hands covering his eyes to shield them from the light.

"This isn't over," Uriel warmed as he stated that the three of them.

"Oh, it looks over to me, junkless." With that, Castiel and Uriel disappear. All of them went their separate ways. Sam ran to Ruby while Dean ran to a stumbling Kim.

"I got to hand it to you, Kim. Bringing them all together all at once - angels and demons. It was a damn good plan," Dean nodded as he held her waist, holding her up.

"What can I say? Angel and demons are my specialties." Kim smiled and stood up straight, Dean's hand dropped from her ass he swirled the demon knife in her hands. "And I got my knife back."

"So, I guess she's some big-time angel now, huh? She must be happy... Wherever she is," Sam announced, speaking of Anna.

"I doubt it."

•※•

The day was bright and sunny as they leaned against the Impala that was parked on the side of a country road. The view was beautiful and the air was warm on their skin. Dean had taken out an esky filled with beer and handed one to Sam as well as one for himself. Kim reached for one but the coolbox was quickly taken out of her reach. Kim looked up with a death glare and stared at Dean, who smiled before giving one to her.

"Sorry, I keep forgetting you're twenty-one," he said as he took a sip. Kim smirked as she popped the top off and took a sip, the chilling drink cooled her down.

"I can't believe we made it out of there," Dean nodded.

"Again," Sam scoffed. Dean hoped his bottle up and clinked it with Sam and Kim's. There was a silence as Dean took a sip, sighing at the end.

"I know you heard him," Dean said, not looking at them.

"Who?"

"Alastair. What he said... about how I had promised," Dean continued as Kim shuffled.

"I heard him," Sam nodded as Kim stayed quiet.

"You're not curious?"

"Dean, I'm damn curious. But you're not talking about Hell, and I'm not pushing," Sam continued, there was a silence as Dean thought of something to say.

"It wasn't four months, you know," Dean jeered.

"What?" Kim asked quickly.

"It was four months up here, but down there... I don't know. Time's different. It was more like 40 years." Kim's mouth fell open as her mind wandered to her father.

"My God."

"They, uh... They sliced and carved and tore at me in ways that you... Until there was nothing left. And then, suddenly... I would be whole again... like magic... just so they could start in all over. And Alastair... at the end of every day... every one... he would come over. And he would make me an offer. To take me off the rack... if I put souls on... if I started the torturing.

"And every day, I told him to stick it where the sun shines. For 30 years, I told him. But then I couldn't do it anymore, Sammy. I couldn't. And I got off that rack. God help me, I got right off it, and I started ripping them apart. I lost count of how many souls." A tear rolled down his cheek as his eye swelled up. His face red with sadness and anger at himself. "The - the things that I did to them."

"Dean... Dean, look, you held out for 30 years. That's longer than anyone would have," Sam sympathised.

"How I feel... this... inside me... I wish I couldn't feel anything. I wish I couldn't feel a damn thing."


	46. Chapter Forty-Four

The next few weeks were hard on the three of them, each of them dealing with their own personal torment. Sam and his addiction to Ruby and demons blood, Kim and her need to discover what she was and Dean who made everyone else's business his own. They all put a lot of unnecessary pressure was on their shoulders.

Kim sat in her motel room alone, the silence consumed her as she laid. The boys had got a separate room instead of sharing, Kim made sure she had some time to think after what happened a few weeks ago.

She had been separating herself from the brothers for a short while as she tried to make a lick of sense out of the mess she called a life. Everything was crumbling around her and what was once a manageable crack turned into a pile of rubble too quickly for her salvage.

She had been snappy lately, training without the brothers, researching without them and hunting without them, doing whatever it took to suppress what was going on around her. It was all becoming too much.

She had just arrived from her latest hunt, a surprisingly intricate witch hunt which left her exhausted after days of chasing and research.

She had begun doing what she promised, doing things herself. Sam and Dean had dragged her into this angel mess that her father warned her not to get into and she was pulling herself out of the rubble, one block at a time. Her father told her about angels, their power, their obedience, their distinction. She was brought up believing angels were horrible creatures sent to blind humans into following them, and now she was working with one all while she had her own problems to deal with.

She hadn't had a pain surge for a while, but she was using her abilities more than she used to. While she was alone, she spent all her time researching about it but nothing, nothing matched her description. She was back to square one, the only thing she knew was that she wasn't as human as she once thought and that no one was doing anything about it.

She laid on her itchy motel bed with her laptop on her lap. She was scrolling through a website that believed to have the answers to her problem, which it did not. She sighed, hours after hours on her laptop doing research that got her nowhere and she didn't know what to do. No website knew what she was, neither did the demons, or angels or Pamela or anyone. She was alone in discovering who she was.

The room was silent as she threw her laptop off herself when she heard a violent knock on her door. It was loud and obnoxious, constantly banging on the wooden door and the sound of urgency pounded through the room.

"It's Dean! Open up!" Dean yelled as he continued banging. Kim huffed and got up from her position, throwing the door open, unbothered. Instantly, Dean marched through her door as she closed the door behind him.

"What do you want?" Kim asked as she walked to him with her arms crossed.

"I just got some news," Dean said.

"Yeah?" Kim questioned irritatedly.

"Heaven and Hell are after you! This isn't about us anymore, they're after you!" Dean yelled as he threw his arms about. His tone was angrily urgent, an expression of extreme worry spread across his face. Kim took a step back, a bit shocked. "Whatever you are, whatever you can do, they want it."

"Dean, calm down. How do you know this?"

"That's not the point, Kim! They don't know who you are! They don't know what you can do and that scares them! They want you dead!" Dean screamed. "Don't you understand that?!" Kim stood there appalled by the situation. Her once well-kept secret was out and she was exposed, vulnerable to each force.

"How do they know?" Kim asked quickly, the sudden wave of urgency washed over her.

"I don't know. Maybe Castiel," Dean replied, slightly more calm as Kim rubbed the back of her neck in thought in the midst of absorbing all of the new information, eventually coming to the only conclusion she could.

"Don't worry about it. There's not much we can do," Kim sighed moving to sit on her bed as Dean quickly and irritably sat her next to her.

"Don't worry about it? Are you crazy?" he spat.

"There's not much we can do, Dean-"

"You can always do something, Kim! Come on! I don't think you understand, Heaven and Hell are after you, those evil sons of bitches!" Dean seethed, getting up restlessly.

"Well, what do you suggest?" He stayed silent for a moment. "That's what I thought."

"Hey! Give me a second to think," he breathed, rubbing his temple.

"Sure, how about we all sit on our asses and think when we could be out there hunting. You know, doing our job," Kim explained, but Dean didn't reply. He just stood there, pacing slightly as he thought. He was utterly restless and Kim wasn't sure why this news destroyed him so much.

"Where's Sam?" Kim asked Dean, who snapped his head up at the mention of his brother's name. He sighed.

"Probably with Ruby," Dean sighed, still thinking as Kim rolled her eyes.

"And you're okay with that?"

"Stop changing the subject."

"Is that a yes? Don't tell me you trust the bitch!" Kim spat in disgust, standing up quickly.

"Of course not," he scoffed, looking up at her.

"Well you seemed awfully fond of her a few weeks ago," Kim huffed as she crossed her arms accusingly. Dean stared into her brown eyes, the light caused them to shimmer.

"Is somebody jealous?" he asked, smirking as Kim rolled her eyes.

"Of that bitch? Never," Kim growled, clenching her fists. Dean smirked as she stiffened.

"What about you?" Dean breathed, looking up as Kim did, both of their eyes saddened. "What are we gonna do about you?"

"Well, Lilith isn't going to stop breaking the seals so we should just focus on that for now," Kim said dismissively as Dean sighed. He watched as she shrugged her life away. The two most powerful forces were out to get her and she shrugged effortlessly as if her importance was as minimal as some low life demon.

"Kim–"

There was no reasonable answer to a situation like this and Kim was not in the mood to be thinking at all at the moment, so she responded with the only response she knew.

"I'll be fine."

•※•

Kim sat across from Dean and next to Sam as they rested in a diner for a little. It was a little shabby, run-of-the-mill American diner with a small jukebox next to their table. Dean pressed a few buttons before thumping it with his first until a familiar Elvis song started to play. He stopped for a second and perched his lips listening to the song before shrugging in approval.

Sam was on his laptop as he talked on the phone to Bobby while Kim looked out the window mindlessly, the new news dangling in her mind. She had spoken with Sam and Dean about the situation and while Dean was content of focusing on Kim and the whole Heaven and Hell thing while Sam continued with Lilith. While Kim was silently fearing for her life, she was concerned about Lucifer rising so she agreed with Sam and Dean arguably huffed in agreement.

"No, no, no, you're right, it's definitely weird. ...Okay, Bobby, thanks," Sam said as he put the phone away after hanging up as Dean walked over after he put on a song.

"What's up?" Kim asked as Dean sat down next to Kim. Sam was looking down on his laptop and started typing, not bothering to look up.

"Bobby found something in Wyoming," Sam breathed.

"A job?" Dean asked.

"Maybe." Dean took a bite of his burger as Kim took a fry off his plate.

"Small town, no one's died in the past week and a half," Sam shrugged.

"That so unusual?" Dean questioned.

"Well, it's how they're not dying," Sam sighed. "One guy with terminal cancer strolls right out of hospice. Another guy gets capped by a mugger and walks away without a scratch."

"Capped in the ass?" Sam didn't respond, he just kept his eyes on the computer screen. Kim leaned over the table, her knees on her chairs as she bent over it, angling her neck so she could look at the screen. He was reading the news, the top article was 'Shooting victim walks away unharmed' and the subheading 'Man miraculously survives after direct shot to heart'. The first paragraph read; 'Police and medical authorities are struggling for an explanation as to why local resident James Jenkins was able to walk away from a point-blank shooting incident. After leaving Bison Bud's Bar, Mr Jenkins and friend Pete Hensley were confronted by a mugger in a nearby alley. After a brief altercation, the mugger fired a shot from a 9mm Automatic, hitting Jenkins directly in the heart.'

"Police say Mr Jenkins was shot in the heart at point-blank range by a nine-millimetre," Sam summarised as Dean kept eating.

"And he's not a doughnut?" Dean asked with a mouthful of food.

"Sounds like some wacky miracle," Kim huffed, pulling herself back into the seat.

"It's got to be something nasty, right? I mean, people making deals or something," Dean suggested as Kim shuffled slightly as they all consider the possibility.

"You think?"

"What else would it be?" Dean asked.

"I don't know," Sam shrugged as she started packing up. "All right. Get that to go," Sam said as he pointed to Dean's meal, standing up about to walk off. Kim stood up, but she sat near the window and her exit was blacked by an immobile Dean; he didn't move.

"Come on," Sam continued, still packing his things. Dean sighed, taking another bite of his burger and shuffled comfortably in his seat. It didn't look like he was going to move. Kim looked down on him as he took another nonchalant bite.

"You gonna get up?" Kim asked, nudging him with her knee. Dean sighed, looking up at them and still not moving.

"Don't you think we should focus on Kim?" Dean asked sighing, chucking his burger back onto his plate as if he was exhausted from asking. Kim sighed and ran her hand through her ponytail, the only way she knew how to tie up her hair.

"Dean, we talked about this. Lilith is more important," Sam said as he continued to pack. Kim shuffled a bit but nodded. Dean stood up angrily and stared at his brother.

"What did you just say?" Dean asked threateningly and Sam sighed at how defensive he had become.

"Dean, she's my friend too but I–"

"This isn't just about the fact that she's our friend, Sam!" Dean growled as he pointed to his brother. "This is about Kim being more powerful than either of us know and we're just waiting for one of two evils to take her and use her!" Sam stopped packing and listened to his brother, the anger and truth on his face. Quickly, Dean grabbed his things and swung it over his shoulder and walked towards the door. "But let's focus on Lilith."

Sam looked at Kim who just shrugged casually. Sam watched the urgency on Dean's face and questioned of his proprieties were in the right place. He scratched Kim's face as she shrugged, seemingly uncaring.

"It's not that bad."

•※•

The motel room was cold and unwelcoming, the only thing to keep Kim warmth was a rusty, mouldy blanket. The cool air made her shiver as they left goosebumps on her skin. She sat alone in the room with her laptop on her lap, flicking through possible answers for their situation.

The boys had gone to investigate this Jim person who had been shot in the chest and survived. Dean was hesitant to let Kim out of his sights while all forces were after her, but she was persistent to say that she was strong enough to take care of herself, plus neither side had shown any action to provoke protection. So she sat alone, researching when the brothers marched in.

"I'm not dead yet," Kim smiled dramatically as they entered, not bothering to look up at them from her laptop.

"Not funny, Kim," Dean hugged as he ripped off his jumper, revealing a shirt underneath it.

"You gotta laugh," Kim smirked, looking up at them as they take out their laptops and books to help Kim. "What did he say?"

"Nothing," Sam shrugged. "He was certain it was a miracle. Changed his ways and what not."

"Uh," Kim groaned, "he's one of those people. Did you get any food?" she asked, searching the air for a familiar greasy smell.

"Yup," Dean said, chucking her a brown bag that was leaking grease. She caught it with a lippy smile and opened the bag, took out her fires and started eating them. The three of them continued to research. Kim looked closely at her laptop as they worked.

"Anything?" Kim asked.

"That cancer survivor? He was clinically dead, his wife pulled the plug, and now he's taking her out for their twentieth anniversary," Sam said, reading from his laptop.

"Any sign of a deal?"Dean asked.

"No. What about you? Found anyone dying around here?" Sam continued.

"Not since Cole Griffith. He dropped ten days ago. It was the last death I could find," Dean nodded.

"So, what are you thinking?" Sam asked Dean.

"Eh, maybe it is what the people say it is," Dean said as he shrugged, ready to place the blame on God and move onto helping Kim but she scoffed.

"You actually think it's some miracle?" she scoffed. "Since when does anything miraculous happen near us?" Dean moved over to the kitchen and looked down on her, shrugging.

"Well, there are no deals. There's, uh, no skeevy faith healers." Dean poured himself a cup of coffee. "I mean, these souls just ain't getting dragged into the light."

"Well, I've been reading about that. The ones that carry them. Reapers, they carry souls from Earth to where ever they have to go from there," Kim said, clicking on the page she was reading it from. "What if there's no sucker to take them?" Sam thought about it for a moment, typing something up of his laptop.

"That makes sense. Grim reapers– that's what they do, right? Schlep souls? So, if death ain't in town–"

"Then nobody's dying. So what? The local reaper's on strike? Playing the back nine?" Dean scoffed.

"Well, then, let's talk to somebody who might," Sam said in thought.

"Well, last I checked, huggy bear ain't available," Dean huffed.

"No, dude, the kid," Sam shrugged as Kim furrowed her eyebrows.

"What kid? The last one to die?" Kim asked curiously.

"Look, if he was the last person to die around here, then maybe he's seen something. We should talk to him," Sam said directly. Dean sighed and rolled his eyes, the cup of hot coffee still in his hands.

"I love how matter-of-fact you are about that. Strange lives," Dean huffed before he took another sip before packing up and heading to the cemetery to contact the last person to die in that town.

The drive was short and quiet and Kim started to recognise the grim nature of a cemetery in each town. Most she had been to were similar and cohesive, just another place to bury a dead vessel; nothing individual about it. The night was just getting colder as she shuffled in the back seat. The darkness draped over the land and shaded Kim's face as she stared at the large, overpowering metal gates a the entrance.

They set themselves up at the gravestones, Sam started unpacking and setting up the equipment. Candles were placed around a pentacle drawn on a cloth beneath a gravestone engraved 'Beloved Son Cole Griffith 1997 - 2009 Forever In Our Memories'. Dean's leaning against another gravestone as Kim shuffled with her arms crossed.

"You sure this is gonna work?" Dean asked causing Sam to look up from his work, an eerie crunch sounded as Sam placed down a bundle of sticks on the pentacle.

"No, but if his spirit's around, this should smoke him out." Kim looked around. The moonlight placed a dull casted shadow over the cemetery. Crooked gravestones plotted the ground as the grass sprouted from the dirt.

"This is not gonna work," Kim huffed as Sam looked at her.

"Why not?" Sam asked. Kim rolled her eyes at him and his optimism, the moonlight shining on his face.

"I mean, ask me to touch a corpse or burn a bitch and I'm all ears, ya know? But this..." Kim stopped and shrugged, not finishing the end of her sentence.

"If we fix whatever this is, people are gonna start dropping dead. Good people," Dean finished as Sam stood up, squinting his eyes at Dean.

"Look, I don't want them to die, either, Dean, but there's a natural order," Sam replied with a sigh.

"You're kidding, right?" Kim scoffed with a tone of disgust.

"What?" Sam asked.

"There's a natural order? So it was a natural order for Dean to sell his soul for you or was it a natural order for you to trust a demon, screw a demon," Kim spat. "No, but let's let innocent people die for the freaking natural order." Sam stiffened. His eyes locked with Kim's deadly glare, an expression filled with pure rage settled across her face.

"Yeah, but the normal rules don't really apply to us, do they?" Sam seethed, quickly getting angry.

"We're no different than anybody else," Kim hissed, stepping closer to Sam who matched her actions.

"I'm infected with demon blood. Dean's been to Hell. You can do God knows what because you're– whatever the hell you are–"

"And you're talking to me about natural order," Kim scoffed angrily.

"I'm telling you that just because the natural order doesn't account to us, don't mean it doesn't exist," Sam continued, taking another intimidating step. But now they were chest to chest, Sam looked down and towered over Kim as she looked up. Sam's hair fell over his face and coasted a shadow over Kim; neither of them backed down.

"Okay, that's enough!" Dean growled, pulling Sam away from Kim. His voices rattled through the empty cemetery and brought new attention to them.

"Hey!" Sam, Dean and Kim look towards the source of the voice to see a man standing in the dark, holding a flashlight. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh–" Sam glanced towards Dean and Kim. "Just take it easy."

"What the hell is this?" the man grouched as he flashed his light towards the candles and pentacle.

"Okay, this-this-this is not what it looks like," Dean said, laughing awkwardly as they all stare awkwardly between each other and shuffle on his feet.

"Really? 'Cause it looks like devil worship," the man accused. Kim smirked slightly, she awkward shuffling stopped as she stared at the man.

"What? No! No, this is not devil worship. This-This is-this-this is, uh–" Dean sighed and looked to Kim lazily. "I don't have a good answer." Kim smiled evilly, she was going to have some fun.

"It's not devil worship, sir. We're summoning spirits!" Kim shouted to him, cupping her mouth to make the sound travel further. Dean quickly shushed her but wrapping a hand over her mouth, a smirk on her lips. They watched as the man started to stomp over, Sam's eyes widened.

"We're leaving."

"You're not going anywhere," the man eyed them as Sam frowned. The man stepped forward into a source of light. "Ever again." The man angles his head to Dean before his eyes turned white, a dominating smile spread across his face.

"Alastair." Dean quickly moved to push Kim behind himself. Alastair chuckled.

"That's sweet, really," Alastair said dryly, "but I'm not here for her today. Got a hot date with death." Alastair flicked his hand and sent Kim and Dean across the cemetery, Dean's head smashed against a gravestone. Kim rolled around from the force of being flung until her back smashed against a hard rock. She arched her back as she groaned, a loud cry escaped from her mouth.

"Why is it always my back!" she cried as her hand flew to her sore area.

"Dean! Kim!" Sam yelled at them but didn't get a response. Alastair turned to Sam and flicked his hand, expecting him to be sent across the cemetery like Dean and Kim, but he didn't budge. Sam smirked cockily as Kim managed to stand up and wobble over to Dean who was knocked unconscious.

"You're stronger, Sam. You've been solo-flexing with your little slut?" Alastair grinned as Sam's smirk grew even wider.

"You have no idea." Sam flicked his hand and Alastair goes flying. Quickly, Sam raised his hand to exorcise him but Alastair fled from that vessel and they watched as the smoke vanished. Sam sighed, exhausted as he dropped his hand. Kim got up and moved to him, watching the vessel Alastair took over drop motionless.

"What the hell was that?" Kim asked, moving over to him. Sam panted as he looked over his shoulder to Kim.

"I don't know," Sam replied. He looked to Dean who was still unconscious. "I'll carry Dean, you drive."

The two of them sat in the car as Dean laid in the backseat. His limp arm dangled from the seat to the floor of the car as he rolled around in the back. Kim sat in the driver's seat as Sam sat on the passenger side. Kim felt the leather under the fingertips as she draped them across the Impala. Baby really was a beautiful car.

There was a silence as they drove, even the stereo was off. The sound of the air zooming past them rushed through the car. Sam swallowed a lump in his throat as Kim stared down the road.

"How did that happen, Sam. I saw it with my own eyes," Kim hissed, not looking at him.

"What?" he asked.

"He tried to fling you across the cemetery but you were planted on the ground. You didn't even flinch!" Kim hissed, already knowing the answer. Sam stayed silent, a sighed escaped his mouth. "Don't tell me you're drinking that bitches blood."

"Kim–"

"I can't believe it!" she groaned. "Do you understand how nefarious that is?" Sam sat in shame. He knew it was disgusting but he believed it was for the greater good. He didn't reply to her as she drove, unconsciously put her foot further on the accelerator. Sam's phone rang and the name 'Bobby' appeared on his screen. Sam sighed and answered the phone, sending a soft look to Kim.

They parked outside their motel room and Sam carried Dean inside, it wasn't long until he was awake. Kim had prepared an ice bag for his head. He groaned as he sat up, Kim handed him the bag.

"How are you doing?" Sam asked as Kim sat down in their apartment, she was a few doors down.

"I'm in pain, that's how I'm doing. I think I have a concussion," he groaned.

"You want some aspirin?" Sam asked.

"No thanks, House. So, demons, huh?" Dean asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah. So much for miracles," Kim scoffed.

"And what the hell happened with Alastair?" Dean asked as Sam stiffened. Kim sat in a chair, her arms folded as he waited for Sam's response.

"He tried to fling me or whatever," Sam flicked his hand in demonstration, going over to the coffeemaker, "and it didn't work, so he bailed."

"Well, how come he couldn't fling you? He chucked you pretty good last time," Dean said accusingly. Sam saying silent as he faced Dean, a blank expression on his face before shrugging.

"Got no idea." Sam turned around to the coffeemaker ambit turned back to Dean when he started to speak.

"Sam, do me a favor. If you're gonna keep your little secrets, I can't really stop you, but just don't treat me like an idiot, okay?" Dean sighed, holding the ice to his head.

"What? Dean, I'm not keeping secrets," he said, his eyes averted to Kim. Dean caught his action and looked to Kim. Kim gave him a hard looked and nodded once as Dean brushed off his conversation with

"Mm-hm. Whatever. So, did you go back and Q'n'A the dead kid?" Sam walked over to the other bed, holding up a thin notebook.

"Bobby called. He did some digging," Sam explained.

"And?" Dean badgered.

"He thinks we're right. Local reaper's gone. Not just gone– kidnapped," Sam continued as Dean furrowed his eyebrows.

"By demon's? Why?"

"Listen to this," Sam said as he reads from his notebook. "'And he bloodied death under the newborn sky-sweet to taste, but bitter when once devoured'."

"Swanky. What the hell's that mean?"

"Well, it sounds like someone gonna kill a reaper. It's from a very obscure, very arcane version of Revelations," Kim explained. "Basically, you kill a reaper under the solstice moon – tomorrow night, by the way – you got yourself a broken seal."

"How do you ice a reaper? You can't kill death," Dean scoffed.

"Ah, you see reapers aren't Death, they're Death's minions," Kim nodded.

"I don't know. Maybe demons can. Where the hell are the angels, is what I want to know. We could use their help for once," Sam scoffed.

"Why would these feather ass creatures help us?" she scoffed, unamused.

"It looks like we're gonna have to take care of this one ourselves," Dean sighed, pulling the ice off his head.

"What are we gonna do, just swing in and save the friendly neighbourhood reaper?" Sam huffed.

"Well we can't do that, the only way to see a reaper is to be dead," Kim huffed from her seat. The room fell silent as Dean started to think; Kim scoffed at the idea.

"Well," Dean started, gathering everyone's attention, "if ghosts are the only ones that can see them..."

"Yeah?" Sam dragged.

"Then we become ghosts," Dean smirked, putting the ice pack firmly on his head again. Sam and Kim looked at each other with a smirked before shaking their heads softly,

"You do have a concussion," Sam laughed dismissively.

"Sounds crazy, I know," Dean added.

"It is crazy," Kim corrected. The both of them looked at Dean, his smirked handy disappeared firm his lips and they knew he had a bad idea.

"How?"

•※•

Sam walked through the motel door with Pamela by his side, her signature, mischievous smile on her lips. Dean and Kim were in the motel room, waiting for them to return. Small conversations fluttered between them but Kim stayed as quiet as possible knowing that eventually, he would bring up the whole 'Heaven, Hell' situation.

"I can't even begin to tell you how crazy you three are," Pamela huffed as she entered, Sam already told her about their plan on the trip over. Pamela felt the counter as she moved around the motel, landing on a chair.

"Well, Pamela, you're a sight for sore eyes," Kim smirked as Pamela turned to her, lowering her glasses to reveal her white, plastic eyes.

"Aw, aren't you sweet," she cooed sarcastically as she smiled at them. "What do you say to deaf people?" Dean looks down as did Sam, but the smile on Pamela and Kim's face remained.

"Haven't heard from you in a while," Kim smirked as Pamela huffed a laugh.

"Predictable," she scoffed as Kim shrugged. "Which one of you brainiacs came up with astral projection?" Dean raised a hand.

"Yo," Dean hollered. Pamela turned her head to him.

"Of course. Chachi." Dean turned his head to Kim and mouthed 'Chachi?' but she just shrugged.

"So, let's be clear. You want to rip your souls out of your bodies and take a little stroll through the spirit world?" Pamela addressed more seriously. Dean pursed his lips and nodded.

"Mm-hm."

"Do you have any idea how heavy-duty insane that is?" Pamela warned as she crossed her arms dramatically.

"Maybe, but that's where the reaper is, so..." Dean trailed off, shrugging.

"So, it's nuts," Pamela continued.

"Not if you're an expert," Kim smirked.

"You don't know what you're doing."

"Wasn't my idea," Kim shrugged.

"No, but you do," Dean responded to Pamela's statement, she huffed.

"Yeah, I do. And guess what? I'm sick of being hauled back into your angel-demon, Soc-Greaser crap," she hissed, her eyes brows furrowed in anger.

"Look, I'd love to be kicking back with a cold one, watching Judge Judy, too. We're talking the end of the world here, okay? No more tasselled leather pants, no more Ramones CDs, no more nothing," Dean paused and looked to Kim. "We need your help."

Pamela sighed making her head hang as she decided.

"Help me set up, will ya?" she asked as she moved to gather her things. Kim smiled at her as they all help her set up. Sam closed the curtains as Kim helped Pamela set up a table as candles burnt around the motel room. Dean flinched his lighter close with a familiar 'clip' as the last candle was lit. Kim helped Pamela in a seat near the bed.

"Tell me something, geniuses. Even if you do break into the veil and you find the reaper, how you gonna save it?" Pamela asked as Sam closed another curtain.

"With style and class," Dean smirked.

"You're gonna be three walking pieces of fog who can't touch or move anything. You'll be defenceless, hotshot," Pamela reminded.

"I seem to recall a bunch of ghosts beating the crap out of us," Sam continued.

"Yeah, well, they had plenty of time to practice," Pamela urged.

"Well, then, I guess we got to start cramming."

"Wow, a couple of heroes. All right," Pamela smoked as he pets the bed beside her. "Lie down. Close your eyes." Dean looked at Kim as they all moved over to the bed. There were only two beds in the motel room considering Kim had rented out another room for the week. Dean gestured for Kim to get on the bed, she smirked and squinted her eye at him, climbing on the bed and laying on the right side while Dean moved to the left. Their sides touched as they laid down, a gentle raze against their skin.

"Alright, let's get started."

The room was dark as they laid on the bed. The soft bedsheets rubbed against their skin as they laid. Kim felt the warmth of Dean next to her as his skin brushed hers. She took a deep breath as Pamela prepared herself. She was ready to do this astral projection thing, but the anticipation was killing her.

"Animum vult decipi, ergo decipiatur. Vis, vis, vis," Pamela breathed. "Okay, guys. That's it. Showtime." A white pain rushed through Kim like a painful jolt. She squinted her eyes shut in pain as she groaned, pulling her legs up to her stomach. She moved into a ball as something clamped her heart. Her jaw dropped in pain as she thrashed on her bed. Her whole body was writhing in disgust, a force inside her pushing it's way out. No one told her it was going to be painful.

"Kim! Kim! Are you okay?" Pamela shouted as Kim jolted up, taking a deep breath. Saliva dribbled down her chin as she looked around the room, her eyes landing on the motionless bodies of Sam and Dean. Panting, she looked to Pamela who waited for something to give her a sign.

"It didn't work."


	47. Chapter Forty-Five

Kim swung her legs off the bed, hunching her back as she looked around the room. Nothing had changed, everything was exactly the same. The candles flickered as the sound of Kim panting filled the room. The rush of her heart racing wrestled through her as she breathed heavily, claiming down. She flinched when she felt a hand on her thigh, looking to see Pamela facing her.

"That shouldn't have hurt," Pamela explained. "It didn't work." Kim breathed as the pain writhed wishing her.

"Do it again," Kim panted, laying back down.

"Kim, no–"

"It wasn't a question, Pamela," Kim responded as a surge clenched her muscles. She heard Pamela sighed as the incantation slipped from her mouth. Kim said there, panting, feeling another jolt shoot wishing her. She cried out in pain as a surge ran through her like someone clutched their hand through her heat like someone clamping down on raw mince meat. Her eyes shot open in pain as she screamed, jerking up from her position.

"Enough, Kim," Pamela boomed as Kim's pain stopped, the jolting from her body decreased. "I'm not doing it again."

Kim stood up instantly, not saying a work. She still felt her heart clench as she breathed. She walked to the kitchen and leant on the bench, finally gathering her breath back. Her eyes drifted to the motionless bodies of Sam and Dean, then to Pamela.

"It worked for them?" Kim asked, looking at their bodies. She quickly looked away, knowing that their body was slowly decaying on the bed; both dead. Kim sighed, wiping a layer of sweat from her head. Instantly, she felt a shiver run through her, she could feel the goosebumps forming on her skin and a cold disembodiment figure near her.

"All right, so, I'm assuming you're somewhere over the rainbow. If you couldn't tell, Kim's didn't work. It just you two today, boys. Remember, I have to bring you back," Pamela announced to the void of the room. "I'll whisper the incantation in your ear."

The room stayed silent and the cold spot around her disappeared; they both assumed the brothers had gone.

"Well, I guess it for the best. It would be easier for them to get you if you were disembodied," Pamela explained, shuffling comfortably in Kim's direction. She didn't seem very bothered about the whole situation, rather calm and collected as Kim panted at the counter. Kim was freaking out, she had felt an itching feeling inside her, clawing at her heart. She shivered in disgust.

"How do you know that?" Kim asked quickly.

"I'm blind, not stupid," she scoffed. "Plus, Sam told me." Kim pursed her lips and nodded, not expecting anything different. Kim waited for her to say anything, maybe explain something. She was the psychic, she was supposed to know. Kim raised an eyebrow has a habit, although she knew she couldn't see it.

"And..." Kim jeered, "any advice or anything?" Kim watched Pamela purse her lips in thought, the orange glow from the candle illuminated her white eyes. Kim was expecting a witty remark or a snarky comment back, but she sat in unusual silence, looking down.

"I've had a lot of customers come, you know? Some want to talk to their dead relative or cat, whatever brings in the money. Some are more serious, like Sam's. I can feel it in him, the evil within his veins," she continued. "But you... it-it's as if it's teasing me it's so faint. I know it's there but I can't for the life of me tell you what it is, I can't tell you if it's good or evil and I can't tell you how powerful you'll get." She stopped for a second before turning directly Kim. "But I can tell you it's not human."

"Do you know why it didn't work?" Kim asked forcefully, raising her voice. She began to get frustrated.

"Hey, I'm doing you a favor. Don't use that tone with me," Pamela scoffed as Kim hung her head. "I don't know. I've never heard of it being painful. You're a first, lucky you."

"Yeah..." Kim sighed, "lucky me."

Kim sighed and sat on the couch, running her hands through her hair, flustered with the responsibility that weighed her down. No matter what Dean said or who's after her, her priority was stopping Lilith. Lucifer was to never set foot on the Earth and although Earth had done nothing for her. Innocent civilians, pariahs and people she loved still walked Earth's land. A world of torture and death was something she never wished for them. She just wished that the responsibility was in someone else's hands.

Pamela had stayed silent for a while, her focus on Sam and Dean. There was nothing she could do to help them. They were spirits able to do things Kim couldn't; she hated being helpless. The two of them had some time of their hands considering they couldn't do anything to help and Kim believed it would be beneficial to use Pamela while she can to figure out what she can. Pamela had expressed multiple times throughout their conversations that she was useless in helping Kim, but she was her best option; so the two of them spent their time in the motel room together, having interesting and crude conversation or preparing small rituals to perform that would hopefully help Kim.

Pamela sighed and held Kim's hands firmly, squeezing them as she dug through her soul. She squinted her eyes frustratedly as she searched. Kim's eyes were shut as she felt Pamela squeeze her tightly. Quietly, Kim peaked her eyes open to see Pamela looking up at the ceiling, moving her hands from Kim's hands to her wrist and up her arm before circling back to her hand.

Pamela sighed as she ripped her hands off of Kim, shaking her head disappointedly.

"It feels exactly the same as last time, Kim. I'm telling you, I can't help," Pamela refused, making sure Kim wasn't to ask for another. They had already tired three different rituals Pamela was able to perform and she gained nothing from them. Kim groaned and ran her hands through her hair.

"Thanks for trying, Pam," Kim replied, plonking herself on the couch. Pamela didn't reply, she just sat in silence in her seat next to the boys. There was a long silence in the room as they sat, a truckload of heavy throughs ran through Kim. Her head rested on the couch as dangled her legs off the edge before getting up to get a glass of water, taking a large gulp and sighing.

"Shh," Pamela shushed, quickly standing up. Kim furrowed her eyebrows and looked around, placing her water down quietly. Her eyes flickered to the exit as Pamela rushed to lock the door. Kim quickly grabbed her gun and held it up before walking over to Pamela.

"What is it?" she whispered next to Pamela causing her to turn to her sharply.

"Demons." Kim groaned softly and cocked her gun, she didn't have her knife back. Kim turned slowly so she could scan the whole room, a creak sounded from behind her. Insanity, Kim pushed Pamela behind her before her eyes darted across the room.

"Wake them up," Kim instructed before distractedly guiding Pamela over to the beds. Just as Kim turned around, she felt a forceful punch strike her across her face. She fell backwards before she ever got a chance to see what was before her. Her head smashed against the floor but she sprung up to see four demons in front of her, smirks on their faces.

Kim fired a shot at one, hitting him right in the shoulder. The demon smirked and looked down at the wound, seemingly unbothered.

"Ouch," he sassed before clamping his hand around her throat. He lifted her up off the ground and threw her across the room, she could onto hope Pamela had finished the incantation in time to wake the brothers. Kim stood up and forced an arm out as three marched towards her. Blood dripped from her head-wound as a strike sourced in her shoulder. Forcing her hand out, she focused on the demon. A stinging pain erupted in her head before forcing its way down her arm and to her fingertips.

A sharp gasps released from Kim's lips as she watched the demon in front of her shiver in pain. His knees became weak as his expression angered. Kim felt two arms wrap around her and drag and she began to thrash but she kept her arm strong as his knees caved in, falling to the ground as black smoke descended to the floor.

Kim struggled as two demons forced her down. A scream erupted in her throat as she kicked the demon in the face, causing him to fall off her while the other grabbed her by her throat. Her arms and neck were pinned to the ground as she thrashed her legs about, trying to break free. She felt the pressure against her throat block her airway as she tried to gasp for air. Black dots blurred her vision as he legs became heavier. Instantly, another pair of hands laid upon Kim and hauled her out of the motel room just in time to see Sam sit up in bed as a knife impaled Pamela.

"No!" Kim screamed as she punched the demon who held her, but a punch was useless against him, his grip just tightened. Sam's head snapped to Kim who was writhing in the demons grasp, panic seething through her.

"Kim!"

"Sam!" She thrashed her legs as they exited the motel room, smashing her foot against the doorframe. Sam watched as she struggled mercilessly but the demon sent a blow to her already bleeding head. She felt a striking force connect with her temple. Her vision started to blur as her head throbbed in agony and she was knocked unconscious.

•※•

The day was silky and beautiful. The delicate drops of sunshine glistened on the leaves as they danced in the wind. Warm shades of green illuminated the Earth outside as warm sunshine heated the ground. The morning was fresh and the air was crisp, a cool breeze dwindled in the air. The streets were clean and simply settled, a sweet smell settled in the air like honey pastry. Shadows of trees decorated the ground and towered over a small building.

The building was square and abandoned, covered in creepy spiderwebs that stretched across doorways. The sweet smell slowly deteriorated the closer to the building and was replaced with the unpleasant aurora of rotting meat. The bright and warm sun had disappeared in the depths of the haunting shadows that circled the area. Hallways of dark, abandons bricks lead to a small room deprived of sunlight. It was sickly cold and inhuman. The room was decorated with dried and fresh blood, rope and leather belts attached to the walls and a flickering light, a lonely chair stood in the centre of the room.

Kim twitched her wrist faintly. She was so weak and every muscle in her body was heavy and almost impossible to move. Her eyes fluttered open as she lifted her hung head. The flickering light penetrated her eyes as they adjusted to the light. Slowly, she looked around to room only to discover it was decorated with crimson. She pulled on her wrist harshly, a source of adrenaline rushed through her. Her head snapped to her wrist when she felt resistance to find leather belts strapping her hands down. Groaning, she pulled at it forcefully, trying to dislocate her thumb but it wasn't enough to free her. A forceful growl released her throat as the rusted, metal door swung open.

A tall man walked in, blood covering his hands, eyes as dark as night. He stalked over to Kim as she struggled softly in her chair. He walked to her and stood before her, strong and dominating. He looked down on Kim as she looked up, a small smirk on his face as she scowled.

"You're one lucky girl," the demon smirked as Kim rolled her eyes, looking away from him.

"So I've been told," she scoffed as the demon forcefully grabbed her chin and made her look up.

"I'm not being sarcastic," he seethed as Kim ripped herself out of his grasp. She looked up at him with disgusted confusion. "Little miss Kim here can't astral project," he continued, his derogatory words making Kim writhe. "Do you even know what that means?" Kim didn't respond, she just kept looking up at him with a disgusted scowl.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked up at him, angrily, disgustedly, but he persisted with his annoying smirk. Kim's knuckles whitened as she clenched her fists, a rage powering within her. The demon looked down on her like a little child, waiting for an answer and when he didn't get one, he tutted.

"It means something's attaching your soul to your body. Therefore–" he pulled out a long knife and without a moment of hesitation, he stabbed the knife right through Kim's stomach. A fiery pain shot out from Kim and she cried a low scream. "You can't die," he said smirking, stepping back to admire his work. Kim screamed in pain, a surging heat ran through her. "Of course, it will hurt the same," he added, as a matter of fact, the smirk only widening at the sound of Kim's pain.

"What do you want?" Kim screamed causing the demon it smirk.

"Oh, nothing. My orders were to push you to your limit," he smirked, leaning closer. "See what you're capable of."

Kim felt a warm liquid run down her stomach and down her leg as she began to pant. She squinted her eyes shut at the sound of him ripping out the knife from her stomach. She felt her stomach flesh ripple and tare as he ripped it out. She screamed, feeling the hole in her stomach. Blood pooled in her lap as she writhed.

"You know what the best part about this is?" the demon smirked. "I can torture you as much as I want and you won't die." The demon moved the knife and stabbed it in Kim's thigh. A blood-curdling scream sounded as a laugh boomed from the demon, fading into a long sigh. "This is gonna be fun."

•※•

Night had fallen and the American country became a hostile environment. The blackness swallowed the land and the quiet night sent chills down the Winchesters spines. Sam was driving the Impala down a lonely highway with no destination in sight. A stilled anger settled in the car as they drove silently. He had just discovered that Bobby hadn't called Sam to tell him about the previous case, it was Castiel, resulting in Pamela's death and Kim's kidnapping.

The seal was saved and Alastair was captured, but at what cost? One messily seal saved in trade from a life and his best friend, it seemed like an unfair trade. He never wanted or intended any of this to happen, but he still managed to place the blame on himself as Sam drove.

"Ruby will meet us outside Cheyenne. She's been tracking some leads. I know she's not exactly on your Christmas list, but if she can help us get to Lilith–"

"Hey, man, work with Ruby, don't. I don't really give a rat's ass," Dean scowled, seemingly what used with the whole situation. "How about you do something helpful and ask her where Kim is." Sam stayed silent. "I'm going to find her," he determined. Sam sighed and looked down, also exhausted.

"Dean, she'll be fine. She'd want us to continue to stop the seal–"

"How are you so okay with this?" Dean barged. He was very uncomfortable with how casual Sam was being about this whole situation, as nothing meant anything anymore except for that demon and those seals. "Pamela didn't want anything to do with this and we dragged her back into it, Sam. Kim is gone! Someone who would obviously be useful to Heaven or Hell had been kidnapped by a demon, but not only that, she is our friend and she is out there and we're letting God know what demon do God knows what to her."

"Pamela knew what was at stake," Sam ensured, changing the subject from Kim.

"Oh yeah. Saving the world. And we're doing such a damn good job of it," Dean scoffed. "I'm tired of burying friends, Sam. And I'm not going to bury Kim, okay? I–I won't do it."

"Look, we catch a fresh trail–"

"And we follow it, I know. Like I said, I'm just-I'm just getting tired," Dean sighed as Sam looked at Dean slightly sympathetically.

"Well, get angry."

•※•

Deep gashes carcasses her skin and poured blood out from them endlessly. Skinny, fresh, wet blood puddled the chair Kim sat in. Bruises tainted her skin especially around her wrists, her swollen skin coloured purple, blue and yellow. Blood sept from previous wounds as burn marks from searing hot pokers stained her skin. She had become numb to the pain. No longer did she scream when they tortured her, they were too greedy, too quickly and tortured her with everything they had.

She had lost track of time, every second felt like an hour as she grinned her teeth to stop the scream. A leather belt wrapped around her neck and chocked her. She felt the pressure close her airways as bruise her skin, a small noise sounded from behind her.

"Scream," he ordered. Kim stayed silent. He pulled tighter on the wrap around her neck.

"Scream!" He watched as bruised started to form and Kim began to gag. The skin around her neck folded over the belt at the pressure. She stayed silent and watched as she vision turned black. Groaning, he threw the belt from his hand, letting it strike the back of the chair with a fierce sound. The demon watched and smirked at the sound before moving in front of Kim.

"I really shouldn't be doing this," he admitted as he pulled Kim's hung head up by her hair, "but you just made it so tempting." Quickly, he unbuckled the leather belt around her neck before doing to same to her wrists. Kim felt the constant pressure around her wrists loser as the remaining blood in her body rushed into her deprived hands, sending a tingling feeling to her. Grabbing her by the throat, he chucked her against the way before tying her hands to the handing rope.

Kim's knees buckled from the blood loss as a trail of blood followed her from the chair to the wall. Her knees faced inwards weakly, the only thing holding her up was the rope. He grabbed the thick belt he used to chock her and cracked it, making a violent sound. Kim didn't flinch as he whipped her in her bloodied and wounded stomach. She felt the metal tip dig into her wound as he whipped her. He whipped her until Kim's stomach was falling open, but she never screamed.

•※•

The Winchesters found their way into a motel room that same night. The rest of the ride was silent and uncomfortable. Dean had never been more ashamed of his brother, he could barely look at him. The two of them enter the motel room and flick the lights on to be greeted by some unexpected and especially unwanted guests. Uriel and Castiel stood in the middle of the motel room all proper and polished and Dean instantly became irritated.

"Oh come on," Dean growled annoyed as he saw them standing there. He really couldn't be bothered dealing with them.

"You are needed," Uriel ordered Dean assertively.

"Needed? We just go back from needed," Dean scoffed.

"Now, you mind your tone with me," Uriel warned.

"No, you mind your damn tone with us," Dean reminded.

"We just got back from Pamela's funeral."

"Pamela. You know, psychic Pamela? You remember her. Cas, you remember her. You burned her eyes out. Remember that? Good times. Yeah, then she died saving one of your precious seals. So maybe you can stop pushing us around like chess pieces for five freaking minutes!" Dean screamed angrily, walking up to Castiel.

"We raised you out of Hell for our purposes," Uriel reminded.

"Yeah, what were those again? What exactly did you want from me?"

"Start with gratitude," Uriel demanded as Dean rolled his eyes.

"Oh. Sure, I'm grateful for you burning Pamela's eyes and hunting down my friend!" Dean screamed

"Dean, we know this is difficult to understand," Castiel tried to sooth.

"And we–" Uriel looked to Castiel who looked at him in disapproval. "–don't care. Now, seven angels have been murdered, all of them from our garrison. The last one was killed tonight."

"Demons? How are they doing it?" Uriel shrugged.

"We don't know."

"I'm sorry, but what do you want us to do about it? I mean, a demon with the juice to ice angels has to be out of our league, right?" Sam asked.

"No Sam, we're not helping. We have to find Kim," he finalised.

"We can handle the demons, thank you very much," Uriel said, disregarding Dean's comment.

"Once we find whoever it is," Castiel clarified. Dean sighed and rubbed his temple frustratedly. No one seemed to listen to him, or even care that Kim wasn't here.

"So you need our help hunting a demon?"

"Not quite. We have Alastair," Castiel reminded.

"Great. He should be able to name your trigger man," Dean nodded, analyser job well done.

"But he won't talk. Alastair's will is very strong. We've arrived at an impasse," Castiel continued, his voice low and intimidating. Dean nodded his head and scoffed.

"Yeah, well, he's like a black belt in torture. I mean, you guys are out of your league," Dean scoffed as if it was obvious.

"That's why we've come to his student. You happen to be the most qualified interrogator we've got," Uriel informed as Dean looked down. Memories or Alastair and Hell arose in his mind.

"Dean, you are our best hope," Castiel said hopefully.

"No. No way. You can't ask me to do this, Cas. Not this," Dean badgered. Uriel walked up to Dean intimidatingly and looked at him.

"Who said anything about asking?" Instantly, Sam looked around the room to find it completely empty.

"Damn it!"

•※•

Kim was hanging by the wall, the demon had managed to tie the ropes higher on the wall so her toes gently scraped the ground. Dangling from the wall, Kim felt her shoulders pop out of place at the weight of her body. She desperately tried to gather her balance by placing her toes on the ground, but they couldn't reach.

She had been hanging there for hours. The blood circulation and dropped from her hands and arms, her shoulders were dislocated and her blood puddled the ground beneath her. She had passed out from blood loss for a few hours only to awaken to a writhing pain in her stomach. A demon pressed a searing hot rod to her wounds, sealing them painfully. She bit her lip painfully as the smirk appeared on his face.

"Don't want you passing out, do we?" he bickered. "You're one tough cookie to crack," he said extremely derogatorily, looking at her. "but I have all the time in the world." She seethed as she spat on him and he growled. He slapped her causing her head to spin, spitting out a mouthful of blood as he continued to burn her wounds. A sizzling sound filled the room every time he touched her skin. Her skin melted and bubbled, forming over her wound.

She squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the burning rod touch her shoulder, the last cut. He had spent hours torturing her with that stick, her toes unable to touch the ground, her shoulder still dislocated. When he finally left Kim alone, she dwindled her toes over the ground, desperate to stop the ongoing pain. A struggled cry escaped her lips as sweat and blood dripped from her. The room was tauntingly hot and she couldn't take it anymore. The silence and numbness drove her painfully insane. She struggled painfully, her toes dancing on the top of the ground. She screamed in pain, she shoulders crying for relief.

She struggled and struggled, but nothing helped, the ropes were too tight. Even with her dislocated thumb, it was impossible for her to maneuver her hand through the rope. She sighed, exhausted and defeated. It had been torture for days and she was starving, the uncomfortable temperature haunting her. She had given up. She knew no one was coming to save her and she couldn't save herself. She was too weak, exhausted, starved. Her eyelids became heavy as her head hung, every muscle faded from her body as her eyelids fluttered shut. She welcomed the darkness and cool air, something fresh and craved.

A loud noise sounded through the room as Kim instinctively squinted her eyes, waiting for some sort of pain. She knew the fresh loneliness she craved could only last so long. She waited for the searing heat to strike her again, and again, and again, she didn't dare open her eyes. She cringed away when she felt a delicate hand fumble with the ropes around her wrists. A soft pair of hands rushed as they moved to the other wrist, undoing the rope. The ropes fell from her wrists and she fell forward onto a hard chest, her knees unable to hold her up.

She waited to be thrown against the chair, just to be strapped up again, for the ropes to burn her wrist for more hours. She waited for a strike against her back or cheek, contrasting to the caresses she had received. Large, soft hands pulled her up as she winced. The person held her at arm's length and scanned her injuries. She heard a male voice sigh at the sight of her. Her eyelids were so heavy and weak, but she managed to open them for a second to see who was holding her. Her eyes scanned the figure from the legs up, until she was greeted with the familiar sight of whisky coloured eyes. Panting slightly, her lips formed a ghostly smile before she fell forward again, unable to hold herself up any longer. She felt him lift her bridal style and she was relieved to have the pressure off her shoulders and knees. Along instantly feeling a change of temperature and the lingering pain she held had vanished.

•※•

Kim shuffled in the warm sheets that wrapped her body. They were soft and delicate, unlike all the itchy motel sheets she had encountered. She rolled on her stomach, pulling the blankets close to her. She wasn't hurting anymore, the pain had gone. Her well-rested eyes fluttered open to a vibrant white room that was clean and pristine. She blinked a couple of time, her brain adjusting to the new environment. Instantly, her hand flew to her stomach to feel for her wound, but it had vanished. Kim felt the soft skin of her stomach and looked for any blemishes, even a tiny scratch, but it was as if she were brand new.

Excitedly, she patted down the rest of her body, feeling it was exactly the same. She got up from the bed she was in and looked around. The room was completely white and pristine, not decoration or anything. She looked down and saw that she was still in her bloodied and tattered clothing. Most of her shirt was ripped and her stomach was completely viable. Her pants were bloodied and tone. Burn marks decorated her clothing. Quickly, she covered herself with a robe that was in the room. She ran to the door, bursting it open into a busy hallway.

People walked past her, doctors and nurses all dressed in their uniform as they rushed around her. She scrunched up her face in confusion and followed some of them down a hall, trying to find an exit. The hospital was huge, but no nurse or doctor with any ability would be able to heal the wounds she had with such precision. It would have been impossible. There were no scars, no wounds, no blood, nothing. She continued to follow the group of nurses and doctors from a distance and ignored the dodgy looks people were giving her as she rushed past, searching for stairs or an elevator to take her to the bottom floor. Her bloodied and battered clothing stuck out of her robe as she fled past. Her eyes scanned the rooms and the people in there as she passed. People huddled over a poor person lounging in the hotel bed.

Her flustered brain ran past a familiar face in the room, stopping a few doors down. She furrowed her eyebrows and ran back into the room, panting in anticipation. All heads in the room snapped to her and she smiled.

"Kim," Dean breathed, a smile appeared on his face as he lied in his hospital bed. Kim scanned his happy expression but it was spoiled by the bruises and cuts. She walked up to him and pushed his hair back.

"What happened to you?" she asked scanning his body, checking the board at the edge of the bed that diagnosed him.

"Me? Where the hell have you been? How did you get back? How did you know we were here? Why are you in a robe? Did you do this?" Dean asked, turning to Castiel who was on the other side of the bed.

"Dean, too many questions. I'll tell you later. What happened to you?" Kim repeated, her eyes scanning Castiel up and down from the bed. Dean sighed and looked at Castiel for a second before looking back at Kim.

"Uh, angels were dying and Cas here and Uriel came to me to get the answer out of Alastair," Dean sighed, rolling his eyes, slightly annoyed.

"By torturing him?" Kim asked shocked, looking at Castiel. "Are you serious?"

"Dean had encountered Alastair in Hell and we believed he was the best option at getting the answer. Turns out it was not a demon, but Uriel," Castiel muttered shamefully, not looking at her. "It was disobedience. He was working against us." Dean shuffled in his seat and looked at Castiel.

"Is it true? Did I break the first seal? Did I start all this?" Dean asked, swallowing a lump in his throat. Castiel stayed silent for a moment, and for a second Kim swore she saw a slither of sympathy for him.

"Yes. When we discovered Lilith's plan for you, we laid siege to Hell and we fought our way to get to you before you–"

"Jump-started the apocalypse," Dean interrupted. Kim listened in the back, a small pain in her heart as Dean started to chock up. His eye began to water slightly but she shook them away.

"And we were too late," Castiel admitted.

"Why didn't you just leave me there, then?"

"It's not blame that falls on you, Dean, it's fate. The righteous man who begins it is the only one who can finish it. You have to stop it," Castiel continued.

"Lucifer? The apocalypse? What does that mean?" Castiel looked away. "Hey! Don't you go disappearing on me, you son of a bitch. What does that mean!" Dean yelled, his face turning red.

"I don't know," Castiel admitted.

"Bull."

"I don't. Dean, they don't tell me much. I know our fate rests with you."

"Well, then you guys are screwed. I can't do it, Cas. It's too big. Alastair was right. I'm not all here. I'm not–I'm not strong enough. Well, I guess I'm not the man either of our dads wanted me to be. Find someone else. It's not me," Dean welled up, chocking on his saliva and a tear ran down his cheek. Kim bit her lip slightly as Castiel looked up from the ground and met eyes with Kim. He looked rather sympathetic and Kim acknowledged his glance with a single nod before he disappeared. Kim walked to Dean and sat on a chair left in the room, squeezing his arm softly as Dean began to cry.

She didn't try to reason with him. She knew no matter what she said he would still feel the same encounter of guilt, so she sat and stayed by his side and comforted him in any way she could. She never thought she would feel so natural with Dean's tearing beside her. Instead of feeling awkward and uncomfortable she felt the need to make him feel better.

Kim's gaze fell from Dean as he angled his head so that she couldn't see him and drifted to the window, her eyes dead. Her mind continued to replay itself as she remembered the events like they were only moments ago. Although all her wounds were somehow healed, she cringed as she imagined her stomach laid out in front of her, and the sound of her internal organs trying to keep themselves behind the barrier of her open wound. She felt her stomach clench as her heart raced.

The sky was the bluest she had ever seen it, and she felt disgusted that the world was happy at her displeasure. People didn't know what happened to her, or to Dean, they were blinded by the smile of the sun as it shone through the window and created a glow over the room. Kim watched the room shade in whisky and she unconsciously relaxed and with a simple squeeze of Dean's arm, she calmed him down.


	48. Chapter Forty-Six

It had been months since that day and Dean made a full recovery pretty quickly. Being discharged from the hospital the next day. Dean shook off his injuries and started hunting again the day after. Kim remembered the drive back to the motel room like it was only moments ago.

 _The night devoured the land as they drove but the lights from the town made everything seem orange. Kim cringed in the backseat as she held one of her arms across her stomach, her gaze out the window as her mind replayed over itself. She didn't even notice her name being called._

 _"Kim!" a loud voice called from the front of the car. Kim snapped her head in the direction, a tight grip over her stomach._

 _"Yeah?" she asked, not hearing what they had said. She heard a soft sigh from the front but neither brother turned to look at her._

 _"I asked you what happened," Dean repeated, his voice falling softer. Kim stiffened at his tone and fixed her slumped posture to an upright one, her once dazed expression became firm and she eyes dead._

 _"Oh, uh-"_

 _"And none of this 'I'll tell you later' shit, Kim. I'm not playing that game anymore. You were gone for a week."_

 _There was a silence in the car as she figured out what to say. So much happened in a matter of a week and so many unanswered questions arose from it. Her journey to discover the monster within herself only ever lead to more questions that needed answering. She knew this conversation was going to be difficult and filled with a lot of questions she couldn't answer, and knowing she had no way out of it this time, she decided to be frankly blunt._

 _"Well, looks like I can't die," Kim blurted, earning a choke from Sam._

 _"What?" he asked enthusiastically._

 _"Yeah, turns out I can't die. Still hurts like a bitch but something's attached my soul to my body," Kim said as she thought back. Her expression dropped slightly as she thought of her childhood. "Makes a lot of sense, actually." There was a silence._

 _"Did they test it?" Dean asked uncomfortably and at first, Kim wasn't sure what he was talking about, but it soon became clear. She shuffled uncomfortably and scratched the back of her neck, unwillingly locking eyes with Dean's in the mirror. He saw her shuffle and rage filled him. It wasn't hard for him to imagine what Kim went through, considering he went through a similar situation, and he smashed his hand on the wheel. A furious growl escaped from his throat and Kim swallowed a lump in her throat. She knew he was going to act like this but it always ends up surprising. "What did they do?"_

 _The question took her by surprise. "What do you mean-"_

 _"Don't play dumb, Kim. What did they do?" This wasn't a question, it was a demand. He demanded to know and he only stiffened at Kim's hesitation to answer._

 _"Uh, do you really want to know?" Kim asked. Dean's eyes flickered to the mirror and caught her gaze. His apple green eyes danced around her brown ones as he thought about his answer._

 _"I need to know."_

Kim regretted ever telling him because he blamed himself more. He wallowed in his self-pity with every unnecessary drink he skulled and anger he suppressed. Kim made it her duty to stop him, hiding his drinks or finding cases to take his mind off it. They argued with every drink Dean had about it want his fault, but he was as stubborn as Kim and made everyone else's problems his own.

Neither of them knew how Kim ended up in the hospital that day, or why her wounds had vanished as if they never existed, but with everything on their plate they pushed their questions aside and focused on the apocalypse. Finding Lilith was Kim and Sam's main priority as they searched for any demonic sign. Small cases came and went with the days as did the alcohol. But as days turned into months, Dean had put down the bottle, not in forgiveness but in exhaustion. He knew that no matter what he did, he couldn't save Kim forever.

The three of them walked into an empty comic store at a suspicion of a ghost hunt. The brothers dressed in their suits while Kim dressed in her pencil skirts with their FBI prisoners at hand. A short, chubby man behind the counter looked up as they approached and took out their badges and the man frowned at their appearance.

"Uh... can I help you?" the man asked curiously.

"Sure hope so. Agents DeYoung, Gowan and Shaw. Just need to ask you a few questions," Dean instructed as he pointed flimsily to the badges. The man furrowed his brows as they talked.

"Notice anything strange in the building, the last couple of days?" Sam asked.

"Like what?" he asked suspiciously.

"Well, some other tenants reported flickering lights." The man shook his head.

"Uh, I don't think so. Why?"

"What about noises? Any skittering in the walls? Kind of like rats?" Kim asked.

"And the FBI is investigating a rodent problem?" he asked sceptically.

"What about cold spots? Feel any sudden drops in temperature?" Sam asked seriously, the pen and notepad in his hand as he took down notes. Kim furrowed her eyebrows as the man started to grin.

"I knew it! You guys are LARPing, aren't you?" the man asked excitedly. Kim opened her mouth to speak but she closed her mouth with nothing to say. This word was unfamiliar to her but he announced it to them as if they were to know.

"Excuse me?" Dean asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"You're fans," he continued to enthuse.

"Fans of what?" Sam asked curiously.

"What is 'LARPing'?" Dean added.

"Like you don't know," the man scoffed. The three of them stood there in confusion, but the man only smiled wider at them thinking their confusion was part of an interface persona. "Live-Action Role-Play! And pretty hardcore, too."

"I'm sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about," Dean addressed affirmatively.

"You're asking questions like the building's haunted. Like those guys from the books. What are they called? Uh... 'Supernatural'." Kim stiffened as glanced at Dean. "Two guys and a girl, use fake IDs with rock aliases, hunt down ghosts, demons, vampires. What are their names? Uh... Steve, Dirk and Carin? Uh, Sal, Dane and Kianna?"

"Sam, Dean and Kim?" Sam asked the man, who faces instantly fell into realisation.

"That's it!" he cried. Dean furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at him.

"You're saying this is a book?" Kim asked surprised.

"Books. It was a series. Didn't sell a lot of copies, though. Kind of had more of an underground cult following." He moved from behind the counter to a small table next to the counter, a sign on the table said 'Bargain Bin' and Sam, Dean and Kim follow. "Let's see. Um... Ah. Yeah." He handed Dean a book. "That's the first one, I think."

"'Supernatural' by Carver Edlund," Dean read, reading the cover before flipping it over and reading the back. "Along with a lonely California highway, a mysterious woman in white lures men to their deaths." Kim furrowed her eyebrows as she listened to him, but Sam obviously knew what it meant and grabbed the book out of his hands instantly, a wave of urgent shock surged through him.

"Give me that," Sam splurged as she snatched the book. "We're gonna need all the copies of 'Supernatural' you've got," Sam demanded. Kim's eyes scanned the array of books on the table. The books were dark shaded and mis-coloured; her eyes caught her name on the second book of the series.

•※•

The three of them shared a motel room that night, but although they were all together, no one was doing much talking. All of them had their noses shoved into the novels of 'Supernatural', all awed at how accurate and detailed it was.

It was hard to grasp for Kim, her whole experience with the Winchesters displayed in words. Her perspective written out in such an accurate description, she couldn't help but wonder if Sam and Dean's were too. She dared to read the words of Carver Edlund's portrayal of Dean's first impressions of Kim, but she was sure she already knew what he thought of her. This series could make her aware of everything Sam and Dean were thinking or doing at any time if she so dared to read it. But instead of investigating the minds of the Winchester brothers when she knew them, she decided to read the first book of the series, before she met them.

Kim was so entranced by the situation that she forgot to mention that it was a horrible book to read. The book had little to any intricate vocabulary and the sentence structures were anything but cohesive. The detail was accurate but very underwhelming and the grammar was child-like at best. Kim was so used to her proper sentence structures and absolute vocabulary, this book was nothing but child's play. Yet her critic would never leave her mind for it was one of the least thought consuming problems she had to worry about.

"This is freakin' insane. How's this guy know all this stuff?" Dean asked as he read the books.

"You got me," Sam shrugged.

"How come we haven't heard of them before?" Dean asked, getting up from his spot and crossing over the room.

"The guy did say they weren't popular, thank God," Kim breathed, flipping the page. Sam was on his laptop, researching the author.

"They're pretty obscure. I mean, almost zero circulation. Uh, started in '05. The publisher put out a couple dozen before going bankrupt. And, uh, the last one – 'No Rest For The Wicked' –" he turned the laptop around to face Dean and Kim, "ends with you going to hell."

"I reiterate. Freaking insane." Dean looked over the website as Kim continued to read. "Check it out. There are actually fans. There's not many of them, but still. Did you read this?"

"Yeah," Sam replied.

"Although for fans, they sure do complain a lot. Listen to this – Simpatico says 'the demon storyline is trite, clichéd, and overall craptastic.' Yeah, well, screw you, Simpatico. We lived it," Dean sassed as she skipped past his comment. Kim huffed in the background and Dean turned to face her sharply. "What? It's true," he defended.

"Hey, we're in the same boat, dude," Kim said, putting her hands up in fake surrender.

"Yeah. Well, keep on reading. It gets better," Sam encouraged, knowing he wouldn't like what he read next.

"There are 'Sam girls' and 'Dean girls' and – and 'Kim girls'. Go Kim," Dean smirked looking up at Kim who had a small smirk on her face. "What's a 'slash fan'?"

"As in... Sam-slash-Dean. Together," Sam chocked out.

"Like, together, together?" Dean cringed as Kim chocked on her saliva, looking up from the book.

"Yeah"

"They do know we're brothers, right?"

"Doesn't seem to matter."

"Oh, come on. That... That's just sick," Dean cringed but looked again. "Hey, Dean-slash-Kim," Dean read, wiggling his eyebrows at Kim, who looked back to the book, a small smirk on her lips. "And, uh... Sam-slash-Kim." Dean quickly shut the laptop.

"We got to find this Carver Edlund," Dean demanded, looking away disgusted.

"Yeah, that might not be so easy," Sam stammered as he grabbed his laptop to start checking again.

"Why not?" Dean asked quickly. Kim looked up from her spot before placing the book down and walking over.

"No tax records, no known address. Looks like 'Carver Edlund' is a pen name," Sam explained. Kim walked over to the laptop and looked over Sam's shoulder at his research. Reaching over his shoulder she started typing.

"It says here the only person who knows Supernatural's author's real name is the publisher." She typed for a few more minutes. "Here's her address."

•※•

The drive was shorter than expected, but it wasn't necessarily short. It was midday when they got to the publisher's office and the three of them walked in to find a young, attractive girl sitting at a desk. She had short hair and a cute smile which told Kim she was eager to talk about the books. She walked up to them and shook their hands as a greeting.

"So you published the 'Supernatural' books?" Sam asked her kindly, looking down at her. She was considerably short, maybe even shorter than Kim. Her smile grew at the mentioning of the books and Kim internally groaned.

"Yep. Yeah. Gosh. These books... You know, they never really got the attention they deserved. All anybody wants to read anymore is that romance crap. You know – 'Doctor Sexy, M.D.'?" she scoffed. "Please." Her tone was enthused and it was blatantly obvious that she was a big fan of the books.

"Right. Well, we're hoping that our article can... shine a light on an underappreciated series," Sam explained and her smile grew even more.

"Yeah, yeah, because, you know, if we got a little bit of good press then m-maybe we could start publishing again," she rambled hopefully.

"No, no, no, no. God, no. I mean, why would you want to do that? You know, it's, uh, such a complete series, what with Dean going to Hell and all," Dean rasped rapidly. The three of them watched as the girl started to get emotional, Kim was kind of mortified that someones could have such an attachment to such a horrible lifestyle.

"Oh, my god! That was one of my favorite ones because Dean was so... strong... and sad and brave. And Sam... But Kim! We don't even know what's up with her yet. He stopped writing so we might never know," she exulted.

"I know the feeling," Kim murdered under her breath.

"I mean, the best parts are when the boys cry. You know, like when Dean asked Kim to take care of Sam before he went to Hell and her telling him everything was going to be okay," she blurted. Sam sent a look to Dean who didn't look back. "That was sweet. Gosh... if only real men were so open and in touch with their feelings."

"Real men?" Dean asked, raising an eyebrow.

"To be fair, Kim doesn't cry at all during these books," she added but shrugged it off. "I mean, no offence. How often do you cry like that, hmm?" she asked.

"Well, right now, I'm crying on the inside," Dean said, answering her question.

"Is that supposed to be funny?"

"Lady, this whole thing is funny," Dean answered as he huffed along with Kim. Sam rolled his eyes before looking back at the girl with an apologetic smile.

"How do I know you three are legit, hmm?" she asked suspiciously.

"You can't get any more legit than us," Kim huffed, looking up at the lady after recovering from her silent laughing, a small, unpleasant grin on her lips.

"Well, I don't want any smart-ass article making fun of my boys," she said.

"You're boys?" Kim asked as the lady shrugged.

"I never really liked Kim," she answered. Kim stiffened at her words and scoffed, crossing her arms. A small breathed laugh came from Dean earning a single slap against his shoulder.

"No! No, no, no. Never," Sam replied to her comment on the article, stammering. "We – We are actually, um... big fans."

"Hmm. You've read the books?"

"Cover to cover," Dean added a cheeky grin. She looked up at them sceptically, her small arms crossed over her chest in disbelief.

"What's the year and model of the car?" she asked rapidly, to see how quickly they could answer her questions.

"It's a 1967 Chevy Impala," Dean answered rapidly, a hint of pride in his voice.

"What color are Kim's eyes?" she asked.

"Brown," Dean answered again. Kim looked to Dean who didn't look back, ready for the next questions.

"Sam's score on the LSAT?"

"One..." he looked to Dean hesitantly, trying to remember, "seventy-four?"

"Dean's favorite song?"

"It's a tie. Between Zep's 'Ramble On' and 'Traveling Riverside Blues'," Dean answered with a smirk.

"What's the eighth of October?" she asked, looking between the three of there.

The room fell into rapid silence. An instant blank fell across the boys as they looked down as they tried to remember. The lady stood with her arms crossed and her foot tapping. The sounds echoed through the room intimidatingly distracting Dean and Sam from thinking. It must have been an anniversary of something, but nothing rang a bell. It was almost impossible for them to think of any reasonable answer. As the silence grew, the brothers looked to each other desperately to see if either of them figured it out, but both of them shared the exact same confused look on their face.

"Kim's birthday," Kim answered, not looking at the boys; she stared the lady straight in the eyes and spoke with no emotion. The boys looked to Kim, who didn't look back before sharing a look between themselves.

"Okay. Okay. What do you want to know?" the lady asked, convinced they were actual fans.

"What's Carver Edlund's real name?" Sam asked quickly.

"Oh, no. I – No. Sorry, I can't do that," she murdered, all excitement and energy drained from her voice.

"We just want to talk to him. You know, get the 'Supernatural' story in his own words."

"He's very private. It's like Salinger," she added

"Please. Like I said – we are, um..." Sam pulled down his shirt collar so she could see his anti-possession symbol tattoo. Dean rolled his eyes, before doing the same. Kim sighed and lifted her arm so she could see her tattoo under her armpit, on her ribs.

"Awesome. You know what?" she turned around and pulled down her hands slightly so hey could see her anti-possession symbol above her butt. "I got one, too."

"Whoa. You are a fan," Dean breathed.

"Okay," she said excitedly before scribbling down on a notepad and handing it to Sam. "His name's Chuck Shurley. And he's a genius, so don't piss him off."

•※•

Sam, Dean and Kim stood outside the house of the name named Chuck Shurley. A man who suspiciously knew every fact about the Winchesters since Dean found Sam at Sanford in 2005, and supposedly facts before that. A suspenseful feeling erupted in Kim as she waited for the door to be answered. Her whole experience with the Winchesters had been written out in words, words the world could read and obtain. Normal, innocent people would try and sympathise with her, with her story when their life would never be a tenth of a fraction similar. This man had exposed her to the world, it was almost too horrifying for her to take seriously.

The door swung open and a short man, the same height Kim stood in front of them. His eyes were piercing blue and his beard was short and scruffy while his hair was and scruffy. His clothes looked unclean and Kim couldn't help compare his writing style to his lifestyle.

"You Chuck Shurley?" Dean asked quickly and demanding.

"The Chuck Shurley who wrote the 'Supernatural' books?" Sam continued as intimidating as Dean. Kim stood between them with her arms crossed, her expression hard. Chuck looked baffled and slightly intimidated by the three of them.

"Maybe. Why?" he asked timidly.

"I'm Dean. This is Sam and Kim," Dean said pointing to the people next to him. "The Dean, Sam and Kim you've been writing about." Kim watched as he looked between the three of them before quickly shutting the door in their face. Kim rolled her eyes and rang the doorbell, sending a look to Dean to tell him to shut up. Quickly, the door opened again.

"Look, uh... I appreciate your enthusiasm. Really, I do. It's, uh, it's always nice to hear from the fans. But, uh, for your own good, I strongly suggest you get a life." Chuck treated to close the door again but Dean's large hand pulled it back.

"Thanks for the advice, but we already have a life which you've been writing in your books," Kim said deeply with a sly and blatantly obvious sarcastic smile.

"Now, wait a minute. Now, this isn't funny," Chuck replied, rather terrified.

"Damn straight, it's not funny," Dean added lowly.

"Look, we just want to know how you're doing it," Sam intervened, but not with his usual calm approach. He seemed rather complexed and demanding, his voice was strong and his eyebrows furrowed as he looked down on his demeaningly.

"I'm not doing anything," Chuck explained desperately.

"Are you a hunter?" Dean asked.

"What? No. I'm a writer."

"Then how do you know so much about demons?" Dean asked who advanced on Chuck, punching his way into the house. Kim rolled her eyes at his actions but moved inside to see Chuck had fallen on the couch as he backed up. "And changelings?"

"Is this some kind of 'Misery' thing?" Chuck asked, looking up. "Ah, it is, isn't it? It's a 'Misery' thing!"

"No, it's not a 'Misery' thing," Dean growled as Chuck struggled on the couch. Kim looked up at Sam and sent him a weird look, not sure what Misery was. "Believe me, we are not fans!" Sam just waved it off.

"Well, then, what do you want?!" Chuck asked loudly.

"I'm Sam. And that's Dean and Kim," Sam introduced again.

"They're fictional characters. I made them up! They're not real!" Chuck screamed. With a huff, Kim grabbed Chuck by his arm and pulled him off the couch, taking him outside. He struggled slightly but it was nothing compared to what Kim was used to. Pulling him to the trunk, the two brothers following behind, she opened the trunk of the Impala to display the extensive amount of gun and weapons they had in there. A demon trap was even painted on the inner roof of the trunk.

Chuck stood still as Kim lifted the lid. He was sure they were gonna trap him in the trunk. Their eyes were piercing and feared, unlike him wide, kind eyes which only widened at the sight of weapons in the trunk. He swallowed a lump in his throat as he stared at them, the three of them, behind him with their arms crossed, waiting for his reaction.

"Are those real guns?" Chuck quivered.

"Yup. This is real rock salt, these are real fake IDs," Dean said, shuffling through his collection of stuff.

"Well, I got to hand it to you guys. You really are my number one fans," he chuckled nervously. "That's, that's awesome. So, I-I think I've got some posters in the house." Kim groaned no rolled her eyes.

"Enough," Kim sighed for fully, obviously annoyed which scared Chuck. He cringed away from Kim as she spoke.

"Please. Wait. Please, don't hurt me," he quivered terrified. Kim sighed and stopped talking.

"How much do you know? Do you know about the angels? Or Lilith breaking the seals?" Sam asked once Kim took a step back and Chuck relaxed a little.

"Wait a minute. How do you know about that?" Chuck asked quickly.

"The question is, how do you?" Dean asked.

"Because I wrote it?" Chuck said nervously.

"You kept writing?" Sam asked, looking loan on Chuck as Kim took a store closer.

"Yeah, even after the publisher went bankrupt, but those books never came out. Okay, wait a minute. This is some kind of joke, right? Did that – Did Phil put you up to this?" Chuck asked.

"No, Chuck," Kim sighed.

"Well, nice to meet you. I'm Dean Winchester, and this is my brother, Sam and our friend Kim Harper," Dean introduced. Chuck listened carefully and his eyes winded at the mentioning at their names.

"The last names were never in the books. I never told anybody about that. I never even wrote that down."

•※•

They found themselves inside Chuck's messy, small house. Loose papers and books scattered everywhere, kind of similar to Bobby's without the homely hunter feeling. They sat at his table as Chuck poured himself a large glass of whisky and drinking it whole. The three of them watched him as he did, an unimpressed expression on their face. He looked over to Sam and Dean and groaned.

"Oh! Oh, you're still there," he sighed.

"Yup," Kim popped.

"You're not a hallucination," Chuck continued.

"Nope." Chuck sighed and looked around at his messy house, the empty glass in his hands, his rug-like jakes falling off one of his shoulders. With a huff, she smiled sarcastically.

"Well, there's only one explanation. Obviously, I'm a god," he said, throwing his hands up before letting them fall to his side lazily. Kim rolled her eyes as her fingers traced the necklace chain around her neck.

"You're not a god," Sam scoffed.

"And you don't want to be," Kim continued with the same huffed expression.

"How else do you explain it? I write things and then they come to life. Yeah, no, I'm definitely a god," Chuck breathed. "A cruel, cruel, capricious god. The things I put you through – The physical beatings alone."

"Yeah, we're still in one piece," Dean shrugged.

"I killed your father. I burned your mother alive. And then you had to go through the whole horrific deal again with Jessica," Chuck stuttered mortified.

"Chuck..." Sam sighed.

"And Kim. I killed your mother and sent you father to Hell for no reason and– and I made you believe you killed your sister," Chuck blabbered.

"Okay, that's enough Chuck!" Kim blurted, stopping him front talking. Kim sighed knowing this would bring up a few questions later on, but she couldn't make him un-hear what he heard. Dean sent a look to Kim which she brushed off.

"All for what? All for the sake of literary symmetry. I toyed with your lives, your emotions, for... entertainment," Chuck continued.

"You didn't toy with us, Chuck, okay? You didn't create us," Dean enforced.

"I am so sorry. I mean, horror is one thing, but to be forced to live bad writing... if I would have known it was real, I would have done another pass," Chuck continued, his worlds kept babbling.

"Chuck, you're not a God!" Dean told forcefully.

"We think you're probably just psychic," Sam continued.

"No. If I were psychic, you think I'd be writing?" Chuck sighed. "Writing is hard."

"It seems that somehow, you're just... focused on our lives," Sam shrugged, looking over to Kim with soft eyes.

"Yeah, like laser-focused. Are you working on anything right now?" Dean asked. Chuck thought for a second before his face lit up in realisation.

"Holy crap," he breathed.

"What?" Kim asked quickly. Chuck moved over to pick up a book he was reading earlier.

"The, uh, latest book? It's, uh, it's kind of weird," Chuck explained.

"'Weird' how?" Kim asked, her eyes squinting forward as she got up from her seat.

"It's very Vonnegut," Chuck continued.

"'Slaughterhouse-Five' Vonnegut or 'Cat's Cradle' Vonnegut?" Dean asked instantly, making Kim roll her eyes.

"What?" Sam asked quickly.

"What?" Dean replied defensively.

"It's, uh, 'Kilgore Trout' Vonnegut. I wrote myself into it. I wrote myself, at my house... confronted by my characters." Kim silently groaned. Sam and Dean looked at each other before looking at the book in his hand. Kim moved around and looked outside. The land had shaded black from the night and Kim was starting to feel uncomfortable with the whole situation. Papers flooded the table and shelves of his home that was filled with details of her life. Every time she looked at a page her eyes unwillingly moved to her name, and she hated it.

"We better get going," Kim intervened looking back into the room which had darkened. The orange light glistened around the room as Dean shuffled and nodded.

"Yeah," he agreed, "I'm taking the book." With that, Dean grabbed the book from Chucks slightly quivering hand and headed for the door. Kim sent a gentle nod to Chuck, as did Sam for his hospitality and moved with Dean towards the door.

•※•

It was early in the night but it looked like it was later. Dean and Kim sat in the motel room skimming through the book, Kim was reading over Dean's shoulder as they say on a bed, but she would finish the page a lot faster than Dean and had wait for him to finish.

"This is ridiculous," Dean said looking over his shoulder to Kim. "It says you're reading over my shoulder on the motel bed. And Sam will walk through the room in 3... 2... 1–" Just then, Sam opened the door with a bunch of folded clothes in a basket. He placed a small pile next to Kim and the rest was his and Dean's.

"Thanks," Kim said with a small smile, grabbing her clothes and placing them in her duffle bag.

"'Kim thanked Sam and scrunched her once clean and neatly folded clothes in her duffle bag as she waited for Dean to finish the page.' Hey!" Dean read, looking over to Kim as she shoved her now crinkled clothes into her bag.

"What?" she shrugged.

"You know what you do next?" Dean asked as Kim shrugged, pulling up her pants as they lowered when she squatted down to her bag. Kim moved over to Dean as he flipped the page.

"Nah, what?"

"'Nah, what?' she asked as she pulled up her pants and moved over to look over Dean's shoulder again.'" Dean read the first line of the page before looking over his shoulder to see Kim was right behind him. As Kim continued to read she slowly leaned back from Dean as she read the line: 'Kim leaned back after learning Dean could feel her chest press against his back.'

Dean felt Kim move after he read the words and looked over his shoulder to send her a sly smile. She scoffed and rolled over and place her feet on the floor. Rolling her eyes, she moved to one of the free beds and rolling underneath it.

"Well, I have a strange feeling this is the last time for a while we'll be able to get a good night sleep," Kim said, moving under the covers.

"What's new?" Dean asked.

"So I suggest you sleep now. With the whole finding out our lives have been written out for us and with the Lilith situation, we won't be getting much sleep from now on," Kim explained as she rolled over, turning away from them.

"And you wanted by Heaven and Hell, being kidnapped by some demons and being tortured only to be healed by God knows what and placed in the same hospital we were in because you're something special to the monsters. Oh, and also the fun fact that you blame yourself for you're sisters death," Dean said sarcastically as if everything he just said was as ordinary as getting a glass of water to drink. "But lets focus of Lilith." Kim sighed and rolled back over to see that Dean had come closer.

"You say that as if Lilith isn't our main priority," Kim squinted her eyes, sitting up and taking her legs out from under the covers. Dean squinted her eyes just as threateningly as she did and took a step closer; Kim stood up.

"Should it be?" he asked. "We have no sign that she's anywhere close to breaking all the seal."

"Every seal broken is a step closer, Dean," Kim said deeply, her eyes locked with Dean's.

"And the angels will call us when the happens, but seeing that they haven't, don't you think we should be focusing on something that may even be more important?" Dean asked roughly. "I don't think you get it, and I don't know if it's because you're blinded by Sam's need to get Lilith or the fact that we're talking about you, and you are on the bottom of you're importance list. Well, not mine."

 **A/N: Hi everyone, thanks for following the story. I know it's a slow burn but hold tight, the good parts just starting. I love reading your comments, thank you to everyone who's left one. I have read them and I will continue to read them. I just want to know what you all think is gonna happen, what Kim is and how the story will play out. Leave a comment, I'm really interested in what you think.**


	49. Chapter Forty-Seven

The next day the three of them made their way back to Chuck's house. They lounged around his living room waiting for him to speak, but he only paced nervously as if building the courage to speak. His hand was brought up to his face as he bit his nails nervously as a bunch of papers were in his other hand.

"So... you wrote another chapter?" Sam asked as Chuck paced.

"This was all so much easier before you were real," he replied and they instantly knew something was wrong.

"We can take it; just spit it out," Dean encouraged unsuccessfully.

"You're especially not gonna like this," Chuck added, not helping.

"Yeah, we get it, it's bad, let's go," Kim sighed, easily annoyed that Chuck wasn't saying anything.

"It's Lilith," Chuck said after a while of thought. Kim instantly looked to Dean who caught her movements in the corner of his eye. "She's coming for Sam and-and maybe Kim, but I only saw Sam, Kim was only mentioned. They're too powerful for her liking," he explained.

"Coming to kill them?"

"When?" Kim asked.

"Tonight."

"She's just gonna show up? Here?" Dean asked in a frantic concern as Chuck poured and drank himself another glass of whisky.

"Uh... let's see, uh," he read through the manuscript, "'Lilith patted the bed seductively. Unable to deny his desire, Sam succumbed, and they sank into the throes of fiery demonic passion.'"

"You're kidding me, right?" Sam laughed.

"You think this is funny?" Dean asked instantly.

"You don't? I mean, come on. 'Fiery demonic passion'?" he quoted. Kim had to admit, it was quite unusual but not impossible.

"It's just a first draft," Chuck added nervously.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait. Lilith is a little girl," Dean remembered.

"No, uh, this time she's a 'comely dental hygienist from Bloomington, Indiana'."

"Great. Perfect. So what happens after the... 'fiery demonic' whatever?" Dean asked quickly wanting to get this over with.

"I don't know, it hasn't come to me yet," Chuck said.

"Dean, look, there's nothing to worry about. Lilith and me? In bed?" he asked humorously. Kim watched Dean glare at Sam before turning to Chuck.

"How does this whole psychic thing of yours work?"

"You mean my process?"

"Yes, your 'process'," Dean corrected as he rolled his eyes.

"Well, it usually starts with a headache. A really bad headache. Aspirin is useless, so... I drink. Until I fall asleep. The first time it happened, I thought it was just a crazy dream," Chuck explained.

"The first time you dreamt about us?" Dean asked.

"It flowed. It just, it kept flowing. It still does. I-I can't stop it, really," he continued.

"You can't seriously believe–" Sam tried but was cut off by Dean.

"Humor me." Dean stood up and walked to Chuck as Kim watched Sam's expression change. "Look, why don't we, we just..." he took the manuscript from Chuck who held it out for him, "...take a look at these and see what's what." He turned to Chuck. "You–"

"–Knew you were gonna ask for that. Yeah."

•※•

Driving from Chuck's house, Sam was reading in the passenger seat scoffing at every sentence he read. Kim was in the back, about to finish the first book of the series and she had a few questions she would like answered. She didn't have a hard time believing John had done all those things, actually, she would have a hard time believing it was anyone else. As Kim read, she couldn't concentrate as Sam constantly groaned or scoffed.

"Come on. 'The minivan accident wasn't that bad, but Dean was still seeing stars. He scratched absently at the pink flower Band-Aids on his face.'" Sam read from the book with a sense of sarcastic humour in his tone.

"So?" Dean asked, scrunching his eyebrows together.

"So, I've seen you gushing blood. You'd use duct tape and bar rags before you'd put on a pink flower Band-Aid," Sam scoffed, looking away from the book in disgust.

"What's your point?" Dean asked again.

"My point is this – all of this – is totally implausible, it's nuts," Sam huffed and rolled his eyes.

"He's been right about everything so far. You think he's just gonna ground out at first now?" Dean added as Sam scoffed.

"Huh. 'Dean slid behind the wheel of his beloved Impala and drove off, the plastic tarp on the rear window flapping like the wings of a crow.'" Sam continued as if the continuing sentences in the book would convince Dean otherwise. Kim groaned and rolled her eyes and focused harder on the last chapter of the story but with the constant groaning and the unsymmetrical movements of the drive, she was getting a huge headache.

"A tarp?" Kim asked, putting the book down and rubbing her head. If she couldn't ignore their conversation then she might as well join them.

"Yeah. On the rear window," Sam said before looking to Dean "And you drive it like that," he sassed.

"Well, he might be wrong about the details, but doesn't mean he's wrong about the end result," Dean said in defence.

"So we're just gonna run?" Sam asked and Kim head quickly snapped up.

"We're not gonna run," Kim assured, sending a hard stare at Dean through the rearview mirror.

"Yes, we are. Dude, we are a long way from ready for a face-to-face death match with Lilith," Dean said firmly to the both of them as they drove towards a road black. Dean slowed the car down as Kim looked away and out the window. Dean rolled down his window as the Deputy walked over to the car and Dean leans out the window.

"What seems to be the problem?" Dean asked with his charming smile.

"Bridge is out ahead," he said, nudging his head towards the bridge. The three of them looked towards the bridge and it was surrounded by yellow tape and cope cars, stopping them from going over the bridge and out of town.

"We're just trying to get out of town," Dean said simply.

"Yeah, afraid not," the Deputy continued.

"Is there a detour?" he asked.

"Nope," he popped.

"There's not a side road that takes us to the highway?" Dean asked.

"To get to the highway, you have to cross that river. To cross the river, you have to take that bridge," the Deputy said and Dean sighed. Kim rolled her eyes and shuffled further into the back seat.

"How deep's the river?" Dean asked.

"We're not going through the river, Dean," Kim told him firmly. Kim opened her back window and stuck her head out so that the Deputy looked at her. "Sorry sir, we'll be on our way." With that she pulled herself into the car and tapped Dean on his shoulder firmly, telling him to drive.

Rolling his eyes, Dean nodded to the Deputy and smiled singularly before closing his window and making a u-turn. As they drove she could feel Dean glare at her as he drove, but she turned her head and stared out the window. Her expression was dull and bleak, her eyes scanned the land as they drove back. She could still feel the glare dart into the side of her head.

"I don't run."

•※•

The day was turning into night, and although Dean knew Kim had nothing to do with the road blocking, he was annoyed that she refused to back him up in an argument that involved Sam's safety. Secretly, he knew Kim was right, in a selfish way. They couldn't run, nowhere was safe from Lilith, and considering Kim was also on her hit list, he didn't bring up the incident again.

They found their way to a small diner with the manuscript in their hands. Dean was reading it as they ordered their meals. Kim was sitting by Sam's side, opposite Dean as Dean read, not bothering to read over his shoulder.

"Hey, this could be a good thing. I mean, if this is what puts us on the path to Lilith, then all we got to do is get off the path," Dean said, tapping the book as he read. Kim was surprised to hear those words come out of his mouth.

"How do you mean?" Sam asked.

"It's a blueprint of what not to do. I mean, if the pages say that we go left –"

"Then we go right," Sam finished.

"Exactly. We get off-book. We never make it to the end. It's opposite day. It says that we, uh, we get into a fight. So, no fighting. No research for you..." Dean said, closing the lid of Sam's laptop in front of him. "And no huffing for you," Dean added pointing to Kim.

"It says I huff?" she asked, wanting to get a look at the book but Dean moved it out of her reach.

"In almost every sentence since you were introduced," he smirked, knowing it would annoy her. She rolled her eyes and let out an unconscious huff, earning an eyebrow form Dean and a grin on Sam's lips.

"Oh shut up," she scoffed, her lips falling into a similar grin.

"No bacon cheeseburger for you," Sam said to Dean how looked disappointed.

"Yeah, no problem. I'll just order something else." The waitress walked up with her notepad in hand and a ridiculously fake smile on her face. "Hi, uh, what's good?"

"Well, if you like burgers, Oprah's girlfriend said we have the best bacon cheeseburgers in the country," the waitress addressed, earning a quick laugh from Sam and a simple smirk from Kim.

"Really?"

"I'll just have the cobb salad, please," Sam told the waitress as she scribbled down on her notepad.

"And I'll have the... do you do all day breakfast?" Kim asked, looking up from the menu to the lady.

"Yes we do," she replied and Kim nodded. "We have brilliant pancakes." Kim didn't reply, she simply nodded as a sign of acknowledgement but quickly looked back down to the menu.

"I'll have the cheesy scrambled eggs with bacon please," Kim ordered, handing the menu to the lady. She smiled and took it before looking to Dean to see if he found a reasonable replacement for his bacon cheeseburger.

"I'll have the... veggie tofu burger. Thanks," he replied with an unsatisfied smile as she took the menus and left.

"This whole thing's ridiculous," Sam scoffed after she left.

"Lilith is ridiculous?" Dean asked demanding.

"The idea of me hooking up with her is," Sam corrected by the plague of an image of Sam and Ruby together convinced both Kim and Dean otherwise.

"Right. 'Cause something like that can never happen," Dean muttered, looking down passively. Kim watched as Sam started to scowl. His jaw clenched as his eyes locked on Dean in rage, before taking a deep breath and calming down.

"For the first time, we have warning that Lilith is close," Sam replied, looking between Dean and Kim. She hated to admit it but Sam was right, they had an advantage. A literal script of what was going to happen and Dean was planning to run.

With the upper hand, it was the perfect time to attack and win compared to the original plan of swinging blindly and hoping for a hit when the time is right. Kim was a firm believer of doing her job properly, but she also belied that you don't wait for the right time, the right time finds you; and they've found the right time. Most things seemed to be in their favour for the first time in a while, so no, Kim wasn't going to run.

"So?" Dean asked.

"Dean, he's right. We have the upper hand for the first time. This isn't the time to run, it's the time to attack," Kim encouraged. She watched as Dean tensed with every word that came out f her mouth, but she was going to stand up for what she thought was the better plan.

"Are you –" Dean stopped, his jaw clenching in rage, swallowing a hard lump in his throat. Tension built between them as Dean tried hard not to get angry, but the red was already showing in his face. "It frustrates me when you say reckless things."

"Yeah, well it frustrates me when one of the strongest men I know wants to run and hide from a demon," Kim replied, getting angry, leaning forward slightly. Kim quickly straightened up as the waitress arrived with their food.

"Cobb salad for you," she said to Sam. "The cheesy scrambled eggs for you and the tofu veggie burger for you."

"Thank you," Dean replied, sending one look to Kim before looking to his burger. It smelt delicious, mouth water even. Kim sniffed the air in envy as the familiar smell of meat filled her nose.

"It's not hiding. It's being smart. It's picking your battles. This is a battle that we are not ready to fight," Dean instructed, picking up his burger and taking a bite. His eyes widened in surprise as his mouth watered. Expecting a bland burger, she was surprised to taste such a delicious dish. "Oh, my god. This is delicious. Tofu is amazing!"

"I am so sorry. I gave you the bacon cheeseburger by mistake," the waitress apologised as she approved, flustered and apologising profusely and she took the burger away. Dean watched as she took the burger away, his mouth still full with the delicious bite. Sam and Kim scowl.

•※•

The drive to the motel was irritatingly quite as Dean's silent and suppressed anger began to build. He was losing control and was powerless to prevent the inevitable. Never in his life had he been in such a dire situation; his brother and best friends life was on the line. But as usual, though powerless to the inevitable, he worked his best to prevent it. He was stubborn beyond belief, Kim and Sam had learnt that so they decided to play along with his own 'opposite day'. Dean pulled up to a very sleazy-looking motel and parked in the parking lot.

"Dude, this place charges by the hour," Sam cringed as he looked around the motel.

"Yeah, well, the book says Lilith finds you at the Red Motel. Hence, the uh, hooker Inn. It's opposite day, remember?" Dean said, looking in the mirror at Kim to make sure she understood. Rolling her eyes, she sent a single nod. They all ordered one room.

Dean dropped his bags at the front door as Sam and Kim staggered into the room. It smelt of mould and yeast, making Kim afraid of breathing through her mouth. The room was revolting and sticky, everything they touched has a thin layer of sticky skin over it. Dean took a few small, string tied bags and placed them around the room.

"Hex bags?" Kim asked, watching him.

"Ought to Lilith-proof the room," Dean said as she raised an eyebrow at him. Both Sam and Kim we're feeling a sort of entrapment by Dean, in his attempt to control what was going on.

"So, what? I'm supposed to just hole up here all night?" Sam asked. Dean smiled, feeling more in control as he reached into Sam's bag and grabbed his laptop before moving to Kim's and grabbing her's. "Oh, dude, come on."

"Just call it a little insurance," Dean replied.

"So what? We're just trapped in this room for the night?" Kim fumed. Dean didn't dignify her with a response.

"What are you gonna do?"

"Well, the pages say that I spend all day riding around in the Impala. So I'm gonna go park her," he informed, grabbing Baby's keys and heading for the door. "Behave yourself, would you two? Kim, no reading-" Kim moved over to her bag to go and see if she could find anything to do when she released her novels were missing.

"Where are my books?" she asked deeply, in a threatening tone.

"And Sam, no homework. Watch some porn," Dean said, smiling as he quickly darted out the door.

"Dean, where are my books!" she screamed, but the door slammed in her face as she charged. She heard the door lock and she rolled her eyes and sighed angrily.

"He does know we can unlock the door from the inside, right?" Kim asked, turning to Sam who just sighed and shrugged. Kim huffed and moved over to the couch, plonking herself down on the dusty cushion. A cloud of dust floated in the air and made Kim's nose sniffle when she breathed.

The room fell silent as the two of them thought of something to do, ignoring the awkward tension between them. Ever since the Knife incident, Kim had learnt not to trust Sam. Although he apologised profusely, she was not the type of character to forgive and forget about something so personal. Every time she looked at him, she saw betrayal. The man who was empathetic, generous and sensible became unstable enough to betray her; while she was grieving, while she was in mourning, and disregarded her as less than a demon; but Sam was right. It wasn't the time to run, it was time to prepare. If what Chuck visuals are true and if Lilith was coming for them, it was Lilith's mistake.

It didn't take long for Sam to jolt up and grab his phone. Kim watched from her seat as boredom composited her. Her novels were gone and her laptop as well. The stingy motel they were in contained nothing to amuse her and the only person she could talk to was Sam, but that wasn't something Kim was prepared for. She sat with pursed lips as his fingers traced the wooden grains in the chair and watched Sam's phone ring. He brought it to his ear but she could hear the phone buzz. Sam looked at her watching him before turning around slightly and facing away from her. She scoffed and rolled her eyes, moving her vision to the wood but continued to listen.

She knew very well that Sam was as uncomfortable with her as she was with him; although he would never care to admit it. He didn't trust her, he wanted to but he couldn't. The way she acted around them, all her secrets that kept being revealed one by one, her past which she refuses to talk about. Everything about her seemed off-putting to Sam, but he trusted Dean, more than anything, so if Dean trusted her, he could too.

He wanted so badly for her to trust him. He thought that if maybe she trusted him he wouldn't have such an uneasy feeling about her. Although they talked about the situation and he asked for forgiveness and she somewhat agreed, he knew she didn't. It was the subtle glares and mistrusted actions that convinced him of that.

"Chuck? Hey, we're at this motel downtown– No, not the 'Red Motel', the other one. Yes, I know. Room 31. Can you come? Awesome, see you soon," Sam said on the phone. Kim could hear a small static voice on the other line but it was hard to make out but it was obvious what his motives were. Sam hung up the phone and turned the album to Kim who was waiting for him to speak but didn't look up at him. She could feel his gaze on her as she traced the wood. Sam gripped the phone before taking a seat in front of Kim on a different couch.

"I think we need to talk," Sam addressed, slightly nervous. Kim sighed and looked up, showing her attention. Sam nodded and swallowed a lump in his throat and nodded. "Okay, ever since Dean came back from Hell things have been... tense between us, right?" Sam asked, hoping he was heading in the right direction.

"Right," Kim nodded.

"Now, I apologised for taking–"

"Stealing."

"–stealing your knife and leaving you alone. I'm sorry, I just don't feel like you accepted my apology." Sam sighed. Kim stayed silent for a moment, they're eyes still stuck together. Kim's eyes wandered around his for a moment before looking down.

"That's cause I haven't," she replied. She could hear Sam's disappointment in his sigh. "Oh, don't give me that shit. I know you don't trust me either." Her voice was getting louder with every word and Sam's nervousness seemed to disappear as he listened to her tone.

"Why don't you trust me?" he asked forwardly.

"Why don't you trust me?" she spat back, leaning forward.

"I asked first," Sam replied, leaning forward too.

"That doesn't matter!"

"Kim, answer the question!"

"No! I don't have to do anything!"

Answer the question!"

"Because I don't trust people who give into grief!" Kim screamed, her face red with heat and rage. "They're weak and unpredictable and you can't be that when you're a hunter! People who give into grief are people who can't be reliable when things get bad, and when you're a hunter, things are always bad." Sam leaned back from his threatening position, looking Kim in the eyes. He watched as she dwelling in unsolved grief and anger herself, and his mouth fell open slightly.

"That's why you don't cry?" he asked suddenly, taking Kim by surprise. She looked up at him and his softened expression, her mopey hair falling over his face as she spoke. "I mean, you didn't cry at Pamela's, not even Ash– not even Dean." Kim didn't reply, she just licked her teeth and lifted her legs into her lap, looking away from Sam, and he knew he had stepped over the line.

There was a knock on the motel door and Sam quickly went to answer it. Kim shuffled in her spot, turning to face the open door to reveal Chuck, standing there shaggy and dirty.

"You wanted to see me?" Chuck said nervously, looking around to see Kim behind the corner.

"Yeah," Sam said, looking around shiftily, following the gaze of Chuck who landed on Kim. Sam opened the door wider and let Chuck enter, he staggered in.

"Thanks for coming," Sam said wearily, looking to Kim slightly for a reaction. She just sat there, looking between them casually. Sam would have thought she would be again the decision and would protest against it, so he hadn't bothered asking before calling him over, but her ration was close to nothing. He presumed she had some questions for him herself.

"Ah, sure," Chuck said. The two of them moved to take a seat on the couch and Sam looked to Kim caustically before he spoke. He didn't really plan for her to be there when he and Chuck were talking, he more imagined the scenario of Kim questioning Sam and his decision before grabbing her coat and leaving. Kim could see he didn't want her there, which only increased her likeliness of staying.

Sam's eyes moved from Kim to Chuck. "Maybe we should talk somewhere else?" he suggested. Chuck swallowed nervously before looking between Kim and Sam.

"I can assure you that she already knows about more stuff than you would hope," Chuck chocked before turning back to Sam. Kim smirked and shuffled in her spot, waiting for Sam to continue.

"Okay, um... I was just wondering how much you know. About me," Sam asked, simply.

"What do you mean?" Chuck asked.

"Have you seen visions of me when I'm not with Kim and Dean?" Sam asked cautiously before looking at Kim. Chuck followed his gaze.

"Oh... You want to know if I know about the demon blood. Kim figured it out a while ago," Chuck explained.

"Did you tell Dean?" he asked Kim quickly. She just shook her head.

"I mean, it's pretty obvious. He'll figure it out soon," Kim said as she brought her legs down from their curled position. "Did you tell Dean?" he asked Chuck.

"I didn't even write it into the books. I was afraid it would make you look unsympathetic," Chuck explained.

"Unsympathetic?" Sam rasped.

"Yeah, come on, Sam. I mean, sucking blood? You got to know that's wrong," Chuck added.

"It scares the hell out of me. I mean, I feel it inside of me. I... I wish to God I could stop," Sam choked out, trying his best to sound 'sympathetic'. Kim didn't say anything as she listened to them speak. She could feel how uncomfortable Sam was with her being there but she wasn't going to let slip an opportunity to hear the truth.

"But you keep going back," Chuck emphasised.

"What choice have I got? If it helps me kill Lilith and stop the apocalypse–"

"I thought that was Dean's job. That's what the angels say, right?" Chuck added, cutting him off.

"Dean's not... he's not Dean lately. Ever since he got out of Hell. He needs help," Sam said cautiously, though he knew Kim knew.

"So you got to carry the weight?" Chuck asked.

"Well, he's looked out for me my whole life. I can't return the favor?" Sam asked as Kim shuffled angrily, trying to hold her tongue.

"Not if it means drinking demon blood, Sam," Kim interrupted, leaning closer. Sam sighed and shifted to Kim. "I know it had been you and Dean your whole life but-" she stopped and scoffed. "Don't worry about it."

"Yeah, sure you can. I mean, if that's what this is," Chuck said, shrugging as he looked to Sam.

"What else would it be?" Sam asked Chuck about the reasoning to drink demon blood.

"I don't know. Maybe the demon blood makes you feel stronger? More in control?" Chuck suggested.

"No. That's not true," Sam answered immediately as Kim raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry, Sam. I know it's a terrible burden – feeling that it all rests on your shoulders," Chuck sympathised.

"Does it? All rest on my shoulders?" Sam asked sadly, his voice low with anticipation. Chuck sighed, rubbing his hands together as he looked down. His head hung as he thought of the answer, imagining the past visions he had seen. He sighed and scratched his shaggy beard.

"That seems to be where the story's headed," Chuck sighed, sending a quick look to Kim. Sam sighed lowly, the weight just got heavier. Kim shuffled softly, feeling a soft sort of empathy for him.

"Am I strong enough to stop Lilith tonight?" Sam asked strongly. A swift silence followed his voice as Chuck thought and Sam waited in anticipation. Kim knew Sam meant well but he acted as if she was useless, never there to help. Lilith was after them both. They wanted them dead. They feared them.

"I don't know. I haven't seen that far yet."

There was a silence that lingered in the room as the three of the shuffled uncomfortably. Sam sighed as he felt a whole new level or responsibility weight on him. Before Chuck, his respectability were self-inflicted, but now that he had assurance he felt more pressure to fix everything around him, just like Dean did.

Kim scrunched her face in anticipation. She was riddled with questions she hoped Chuck could answer. If she had any chance of understanding what she was, Chuck was her answer but she felt insensitive moving on from Sam's responsibilities and questions so quickly and moving onto hers. Chuck sensed Kim queries and sighed in her direction, causing her to look up curiously.

"I don't have any answers for you, Kim. I wish I did, but I have no idea what you are. I only know that you are more powerful than people think." The words left Chuck's mouth slowly as they repeated in her brain. She felt an overwhelming wave of disappointment crash over her, chest teasingly so. She flattered her lips and nodded her head once. What else was she exacting? Answers? How stupid of her to let herself hold false hope. Silently, Kim cursed herself for doing so.

"Yeah," Kim sighed. "I don't know what I was expecting."

•※•

Hours had passed and Chuck had left a while ago. The two of them spent their time talking and chatting. Kim was still in the same spot she was in when Dean left, she hadn't got up for anything. She sat in her spot, comfortably as Sam shuffled anxiously. Eventually, she got him to stop and that chatted for most of their spare time.

At first, it was awkward, but they had known each other for years and the awkwardness slowly slipped away with each conversation. Kim still unconsciously kept her distance as they talked, Sam didn't even try to ask questions he knew she wasn't comfortable answering. Their conversation was mostly Sam talking and Kim listening, but she liked it that way. She tried her very best to trust him again, and she began too. She knew that moment almost a year ago was a heat-of-the-moment mistake, but she couldn't get out of the mindset that if he did it once, he's bound to do it again.

They discussed the Lilith situation, and how Kim admired how Sam didn't run. Both of them knew that neither of them were going to run; that's not what professional hunters do. It was their chance to defeat Lilith, and they weren't giving that opportunity away. In Chuck's book, Sam was alone when Lilith arrived, so if Kim was with Sam he would be less likely to be seduced by Lilith.

Never the less, they talked comfortably, about more things like how messed up their lives were or about hunting. They talked about their interests, hobbies, skill sets, anything really just as any normal people would, when Dean burst through the motel door.

"Come on. We're getting out of here." Dean busted in a rush, moving to gather all the things he could.

"What? Where?" Sam asked as he watched his brother dash around the room.

"Anywhere, okay? Out of this motel, out of this town. I don't care if we got to swim, we are getting out," Dean said forcefully. Kim looked at Sam who just shrugged, Dean looked around confused. "Dude, where are all the hex bags?"

"I burned them," Sam shrugged.

"You what?" Dean spat. "You let him do this?" he asked Kim.

"Look, if Lilith is coming, which is a big 'if' –"

"No, no, no. It's more than an 'if.' Chuck is not a psychic. He's a prophet," Dean spat, his tone growing angrier and raspier.

"'Prophet of the Lord" prophet?" Kim asked quickly, standing up form her seat, followed by Sam.

"Yeah, Cas showed up, and apparently Chuck is writing the gospel of us," Dean stormed.

"Okay," Sam said, nodding his head.

"Okay. Let's get the hell out of here," Dean continued, gathering more things and gesturing to the door. The air became thick as Sam and Kim stayed still.

"No," Sam said straight.

"Lilith is gonna slaughter you," Dean warned. "Both of you."

"Maybe she will, maybe she won't," Sam said painlessly, shrugging. Dean looked at Kim and scrunched his face, moving violently fast.

"So what? You think you can take her?" Dean asked angrily, with a tone of sarcastic laughter in his voice.

"Only one way to find out, Dean, and I say bring her on," Sam said, throwing his arms up. Dean sighed, looking between Kim and Sam, seeing Kim hadn't moved from Sam's side as she would normally.

"Guys..."

"You think I'll do it, don't you? You think I'll go dark side!" Sam asked angrily, Dean's stubborn pessimism and doubt.

"Yes! Okay? Yes. The way you've been acting lately? The things you've been doing?" Sam looked up sharply at the mentioning of his behaviour. "Oh, I know. How you ripped Alastair apart like it was nothing, like you were swatting a fly. Cas told me, okay?"

"You killed Alastair?" Kim asked quickly, snapping her head to Sam.

"What else did he tell you?" Sam asked nervously.

"Nothing I don't already know. That you've been using your psychic crap, and you've been getting stronger. We just don't know why, and we don't know how," Dean spat as Sam sent a look to Kim.

"It's not what you think," Sam tried to reason, but when did Dean ever listen to reason.

"Then what is it, Sam? 'Cause I'm at a total loss," Dean demanded, throwing his arms up. Dean stood there waiting for Sam response, which both of them knew wasn't coming. After a few moments of silence, Dean scoffed and grabbed his bag before violently moving towards the door. Throwing it open, he waited at the door frame for them to start moving, to gather their things and going him. "Are you coming or not?"

"No," Sam said firmly, content with his decision. Dean sighed and looked at Kim.

"You?" he asked hopefully, but she just shook her head.

"Dean, this is unavoidable," she said with a sigh. "Just stay here with us and we'll get through it."

"You'll die, don't you understand. They're after you. They're all after you! I'm leaving, tell me you're coming," Dean replied, but Kim shook her head and stepped back.

"I won't run," Kim nodded, sending a look to Sam who patted her shoulder praisingly. Dean hung his head in disappointment before turning to the door and leaving without a second glance. The door slammed behind him and Kim sighed as she felt Sam squeeze her shoulder.


	50. Chapter Forty-Eight

The night was about to fall and Dean was gone. Sam and Kim waited impatiently for Lilith, they just wanted to get this over and done with. This fight was something Kim wasn't willing to run away from, but it wasn't something she was looking forward to, either. She knew tonight may be the last night she spent on this Earth, and she deeply regretted what her last conversation with Dean would be, but she knew that if she died that night, Dean would be glad she stayed by Sam's side. After all, she was only doing what he had once asked.

Sam paced around the room as Kim sat in her spot, playing with the chains around her neck, spinning the pin on her jacket. Their mind was focused for any suspicious noises, any sudden movements, the two of them were on edge, neither of them had spoken a work in ages. The heads snapped in the direction of the door when they heard a sudden knock. Kim stood up and nodded to Sam before he opened the door. He approached the door slowly, turning the handle carefully before flinging it open violently. Kim ran over to look around him to see an empty hallway. Slowly and carefully, he closed the door and they turned around. Behind them stood a tall, blond girl, her eyes directly over Sam.

"Hello, Sam. Kim," Lilith greeted. Her voice was soft and intimidating.

"We've been waiting for you," Sam snarled. Her eyes turned white. Kim rolled her head on her shoulders as she felt a flicker of disgust writhe through her. Lilith turned to her and smirked.

"Where's your knife?" Lilith asked daintily, and Kim was hesitant to answer.

"On the nightstand. By the bed," Sam replied to her. He looked to her as Kim looked to him, but she felt no comfort when Sam gave her a single nod in assurance. Lilith turned her head in that direction and smiled, walking over to the nightstand when she stops before a rug. Dropping down to lift up the rung, she rolled her eyes at the armature attempt to capture her with a hidden demon trap. Touching the end of it with her finger and the mark flares and burns away.

"You're gonna have to try a lot harder than that," she snarled.

"How 'bout this?" Sam said confidently as he reached his arm out and concentrated, a rush of wind blew from his hand and flew towards Lilith, but it was merely a gust of wind. "You're strong. But you're not that strong. Not yet," Lilith smirked.

Sam, dropped his hand in disappointment, unaware of what to do, but he stood his ground and showed no fear. Kim watched him fix his posture. Their plan hadn't gone as well as they hoped, Sam was their back up.

"So why don't you throw me around then?" Sam asked jeeringly.

"Because I can't, and you know it. You're immune to my charms," she said carelessly. "But you come and go, and I'll bet that with one flick," with a quick flick, she sent Kim flying backward into the wall. "You'll go flying across the room." Sam watched as Kim fell to the floor in pain. She fell on her stomach on the other side of the room, a stinging pain flew through her back and into her shoulders. She groaned lowly as she stumbled up, but as she balanced her feet on the ground, she felt a tight force grip her neck. Her feet lifted off the ground as her airways closed. Her chest tightened painfully as she tried to gasp for air. Slowly, she lost feeling in her toes and fingers, she clawed at the invisible force around her throat.

A tight pain shot through her strikingly, and her instincts began to kick in. She reached out her hand with the energy she had left and focused on Lilith. She watched the smirk on Lilith's face widen as she struggled and it only made her angrier. With all the power she could muster. She felt a force move up her legs and down her arms as her fingertips heated up. A sweat drop rolled down Kim forehead as she shot out a wave of energy to Lilith. It hit her in waves, sending her flying backwards and Kim descending to the floor in a lump of pain.

Sam ran to her aid and helped her up as Lilith stumbled to her feet. Kim quickly caught her breath as Sam held up her by her arms, she leans against him for support.

"How did you do that?" Sam asked quickly as Kim looked up to him.

"I don't know," Kim breathed. They heard a laugh from in front of them and they both quickly get in a defensive posture.

"Impressive," Lilith laughed.

"Why are you here?" Sam asked, slowly moving in front of Kim.

"To talk," she replied, also catching her breath.

"Yeah, 'cause that looked like talking," Sam scoffed. "We're not interested.

"Hmm... even if I'm offering to stand down? From the seals... the apocalypse... all of it?" Lilith suggested, moving closer.

"You expect me to believe that?" Sam scoffed and Kim rolled her eyes at Lilith.

"Honestly? No. You were always the smart one. But it's the truth. You can end it, Sam. Right here, right now. I'll stop breaking seals, Lucifer keeps rotting in his cage. All you have to do is agree to my terms," Lilith suggested.

"What terms," Kim asked quickly, moving out from behind Sam.

"Why would you back down? Why now?" Sam asked.

"Turns out, I don't survive this war. Killed off, right before the good part starts," Lilith huffed, moving closer.

"What do you want?"

"For it to go back to the way it was. Before I had angels to deal with 24/7. The good old days, when it was all baby blood all the time," Lilith smirked, knowing it wasn't what they wanted, but it was better than Lucifer rising.

"And what do you want in return?" Kim asked again.

"Your head's on a stick. Dean's, too. Call it a consolation prize. So what do you say, Sam? Self-sacrifice is the Winchester way, isn't it?" she smirked her teasingly little smirk. Kim rolled her eyes at her act.

"You really think we're stupid enough to fall for this?" Sam asked, crossing his arms.

"I make a deal, I have to follow through. Those are the rules, and you know it. Are you really so arrogant that you would put your life before the lives of six billion innocent people? Maybe it's all that demon blood pumping through your pipes. Man after my own heart," Lilith teased before innocently putting her hand over her mouth in shock. "Oops, did Kim know?"

"I do, you ass," Kim replied.

"You think I'm like you? I am nothing like you," Sam seethed.

"Then prove it. Going once," Lilith turned to walk towards the bed.

"No deal," Kim spat and instantly felt a grip on her arm. "What?"

"Think about this-"

"Think about what?" Kim spat. "She's a demon, we don't trust her, remember?" she rushed as Sam looked quickly between Kim and Lilith.

"Going twice," Lilith continued.

"I'm done playing your games," Kim hissed and Lilith quickly whipped around. Kim held her arm out as did Lilith, and Kim inexperience got the better of her. Lilith sent Kim flying across the room and smashing over lamps and into a wall. She fell to the floor and Sam ran up to her to help her up. "Don't."

Kim stopped him and got herself up and immediately sent waves of force towards Lilith. Kim watched, blood and fire pouring down her arm and into her fingertips as Lilith froze and stiffened. Her pale skin turned red. Kim didn't know what she was doing to her but she could tell it hurt her. Kim started to squeeze her hand and Lilith's skin clung to her bones, tight enough to see her veins and the outline of her bones. Her eyes were bulging out of her head as her flesh kept getting redder and tighter. Kim clutched her hands into a first as a frightened gasp escaped Lilith as they watched her shoulders sink into her back. The sickening crack of her bones sounded through the motel room.

Quickly, a hand grasped Kim's shoulder and she unknowingly loosened her grip. Lilith fell to the floor, no longer under Kim's influence and gasped, trying to gather her breath.

"The vessel," Sam reminded. "She'll die."

"One life to stop the rising of Lucifer!" Kim spat, unknowing that Lilith was out of her grip.

"That's it, the deal's off," Lilith breathed as she stood on her feet, gathering her balance; but before she could attack, the door burst open. A loud bang followed the bursting open of the door and all of their head snapped towards the noise as Dean and Chuck walked in.

"I am the prophet, Chuck!" Chuck burst in.

"You've got to be joking," Lilith sassed before marching towards Chuck.

"Oh, this is no joke," Dean smirked as the room began to tremble. Objects fell from their shelves and the light jingled. A bright white light poured through the windows and flowed around the room. "You see, Chuck here's got an archangel on his shoulder. You've got about 10 seconds before this room is full of wrath and you're a piece of charcoal. You sure you want to tangle with that?" Dean smirked. Lilith sent one look to Sam and Kim before black smoke soared out of her vessels mouth.

•※•

The night had devoured the land they were driving on, Sam sat in the passenger seat as Kim sat in the back. The two of them just explained what had happened, and thankfully Sam and forgot to mention how Kim almost squeezed Lilith into oblivion. In fact, they changed a few details of the night; Kim never hurt Lilith and Sam never thought about taking that deal.

"So a deal, huh?" Dean asked.

"That's what she said," Sam sighed, nodding his head.

"To call the whole thing off – angels, seals, Lucifer rising, the whole nine?" Dean continued to ask.

"That was the gist of it," Kim confirmed.

"Huh," Dean huffed.

"What?" Kim asked defensively.

"You didn't think once about taking it?" Dean asked Sam as Sam looked to Kim in the rearview mirror.

"You kidding me? Dude, you spent all day trying to talk me off the Lilith track," Sam blurted.

I'm just saying..."

"She would have found some way to weasel out of it. And all it would have cost us was our lives," Sam continued and Kim sighed in the back, knowing that she was the only one who's first instinct was not to take the deal.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Dean sighed and the car fell silent. The conversation flew around the car and annoyed Kim repetitively. She could only wonder if not taking the deal was a good decision, seeing she was the only one who originally thought it was a bad idea.

"Anyway, that's not the point," Kim huffed as a way to distract her.

"What's the point," Dean asked.

"The point is, she's scared," Kim started.

"I could see it. Lilith is running," Sam continued.

"Running from what?" Dean asked quickly, furrowing his brows.

"Don't know. But she was telling the truth about one thing," Sam sighed as Kim ran her hand through her ponytail, taking out her hairstyle.

"What's that?"

"She's not gonna survive the apocalypse. I'll make sure of that." Sam looked dean down the lonely road as they drove out of that town, leaving it in their back mirrors.

•※•

The motel was clean smelling and fresh. The sheets were crisp and soft and the blankets were likewise. The kitchen benches were clean and dust free, the air was fresh and the couch was freshly dusted. The TV was fully functional and the curtains worked properly, covering the window. Kim wasn't sure if she was in the right place or if this specific motel looked great because of the disgusting motel they just left. Either way, it was a major upgrade and Kim wasn't complaining.

Sam and Dean were out on a food run, leaving Kim to have the shared motel room alone for the short number of minutes they were gone. She nodded her head, slightly impressed at the composure of the room. It may have been the nicest motel she had paid for.

When the boys left, she sat down on the couch and sighed. Not even the pleasurable motel could distract her from what just happened, what she did to Lilith. She was tired of ignoring what was happening to her, and of course, she had said that before and she knew she was only playing herself when she ignores it.

Heaven, Hell, demons and angels are out there searching for her. To use her, to use her ability which she has no idea how she got or why she had it. An ability to others was a curse to her, something she couldn't control.

Before she met Sam and Dean, her plan was just to ignore it. Pretend it wasn't there and move on with her hunting life, but before she met Sam and Dean, she was only getting the waves of pain, it was something that could be ignored. Soon it became intrusive, and she was unable to ignore it any longer. She began getting those surges, paralyzing her instantly as she seized uncontrollably on the floor as she body writhed in unimaginable pain. She tried discovering what it was, why she had no control over it. Reading, researching, even attempting a psychic, a prophet but it was useless. No book, no website, no one had any information about what was wrong with her, about what she was, what monstrosity she would become if it got out of control. Without any luck, she reverted back to ignoring it. Ignoring the crushing pain, the seizures, the tensing, the abilities she possessed. She ignored it all because the brothers kept her occupied.

Hunts after hunts, problem after problem, death after death, they kept her occupied, but it seems that the next thing that they would keep her occupied with will be the thing she had been ignoring for too long; her own abilities. She knew there was no more ignoring it anymore, not even if she prayed for it.

She sat on the couch, staring at her hands, how strained they looked, rushing with colours of purple and blue. Blood dripped from the back for her head from when she was flown into the wall, her head throbbed with pain as she felt a surge inside her. Her eyes widened drastically in realisation.

"I thought it was over," she breathed out, fear-laced her voice. Her head shot back as a striking pain fired up her spine. Her body was instantly paralysed as her body stiffened. A choked scream escaped her throat as she fell from her upright position and onto the floor, smashing her head on the side of the coffee table on the way down.

She collapsed on the floor as she felt a burning knife sensation stab her in the gut. A white pain seethed up her body and she flexed ever muscle in her body, an unvolentary scream scratched at her throat.

"I thought it was over!" she creamed at the top of her lungs, burning her throat. Her body began to seizure, the pain never stopped. She grasped for breathed, but it refused to enter her lungs. She felt her chest tighten as a murderous pain ran down her leg, it was impossible to feel any of her limbs.

She chocked for a breath, her saliva ran down her chin as she desperately gasped for air. She could feel a painful tingling sensation writhe through her body as she lost blood circulation in her limbs. Her lips tightened and she knew they were turning blue. She was sure she was going to die, certain of it.

This was how she was going to die. She could feel her eyelids getting heavier by the second. Kim Harper, one of the youngest, most professional hunters died alone, in a motel room, from an unexplainable seizure.

She chocked on her spit.

Sam and Dean would find her, pale and blue, lying on the motel floor, drool dripping down her chin, in a pool of her own blood, sweat and spit; but they couldn't say she didn't go down swinging.

She felt her eyelids fall over her eyes and the fain beat of her heart only grew fainter. As she grew weaker, and her fear was settled, she no longer feard the total nothingness of death; she was going to see her mother and her sister. For the first time in too long, she was going to see her sister, to admit her wrong, to beg for forgiveness, to let out too may held-back tears and to eat her pancakes for the first time in too many years.

Kim's eyes fell shut.

"What do we do?"

Her hearing was weak.

"I-I don't know!"

She could barely feel the touch of the floor anymore.

"Grab her!"

She relaxed into the darkness.

"What-"

"Do it!"

Kim shot up. She gulped for air, filling her deprived lungs. Her tense muscles relaxed. The pain surged out of her body as she gasped for air. Slowly, she regained feeling in her fingertips and toes. She whipped the drool off her chin and choked as she inhaled greedily. There didn't seem to be enough air in the room to fill her lungs. Her throbbing brain calmed as her heartbeat rose.

She inhaled one last, long and much-needed breath as she regained her sight and hearing. Blinking a few times to regain herself, she looked around the room when she felt two tight grasps on her arm and heard disturbing gags from beside her.

She looked to her left to see both Sam and Dean clutching into Kim's arm, diverting the pain from her into them. Without thinking twice, Kim jolted up and detached herself from their grip. Instantly, she heard them gasp for air. Dean started flailing for something to grab as did Sam. Quickly, she moved in between them and grabbed each of them by their arm. She pulled them up as they choked and gasped for air and Kim quickly placed them on the couch, still gathering her breath herself.

"You- You felt that!" Dean choked, still flailing dramatically.

"You only know the half of it," she said seriously, getting three glasses of water and handing one to Sam and the other to Dean, keeping one for herself. As the boys and herself recovered, she sat on the coffee table and slowly sipped her water, afraid she would choke if she drank too quickly like she so desperately wanted to.

"I thought they stopped," Sam panted as Kim nodded and shrugged.

"So did I," she replied, leaning back on her hands. The room fell into a soft round of panting, still gathering their breath. "Uh, thank you for that, by the way," Kim nodded, not looking them in the eye.

"Yeah, well I slightly regret it now," Dean huffed a laugh as did Kim.

"Yeah, I wouldn't of let you if I could move," she laughed softly.

"You already did," Dean said, remembering that moment. "Years ago." Kim nodded as she remembered the moment, smiling ghostly at the thought.

"Well then, you're the idiot for doing it," she smirked, finishing off the glass of water and placing it on the coffee table, the three of them shared small smiles.

•※•

Months had passed after that incident and the brothers both agreed that they weren't going to prioritise other problems in front of Kim's, but Kim knew that was a stupid idea. She knew that she couldn't ignore her problem anymore, but she also knew that a hunters problems are secondary to the hunt. The apocalypse was the most important thing to be worried about right now, and although she wasn't ignoring her problem, it wasn't her main priority. Mutually, the boys agreed.

Dam and Sam walk into a large, dark warehouse, their flashlights on. Dean woke up in a hurry and rushed everyone out of their previous motel room to follow some mysterious coordinets that belonged to a creey, abandond warehouse; coordinants given to him by Castiel in Dean's dream.

"Well, what did he say, Dean? What was so important?" Sam asked as they crept around the warehouse, guns level with their flashlight.

"If I knew, would I be here?" Dean sassed as he ascended up a set of stairs. Kim and Sam followed him, the creak of the stairs echoed in the empty space.

"What are the coordinates again?" Kim asked, rubbing her forehead as she made it to the top of that stairs.

"CONT'D," he repeated. Dean looked up from his piece of paper as he entered the next level of the warehouse. "What the hell?"

The place was a mess, boxes and stored items were scattered around the area, broken bits of wood laid around, unsettled dust floated around the air. The smell of dusty blood swept through the area. What once looked like a nice and well-constructed area had turned into the aftermath of a war scene. Emence power had exploded in the area, it was obvious. Everything was destroyed beyond repair.

"It looks like a bomb went off," Sam breathed.

"There was a fight here," Dean corrected.

"Between who?" Kim asked, looking around. Dean flashed his flashlight towards a symbol painted on the wall. The mixture was thick and dripping with the stank of blood.

"Check it out. Look familiar?" Dean asked as Kim raddled her brain.

"Yeah, it does," Sam breathed.

"Anna used that symbol to banish the angels back when she didn't remember who she was," Kim breathed. Kim's eyes moved from the symbol to the room around her; angels were fighting.

"So, what? Cas was fighting angels?" Sam asked.

"I don't know," Dean sighed, lookimg aorund. The three of them moved off from the symbol slowly, unsure what was going to pop out of the darkness. The eeriness of the warehouse was getting to the better of them. They moved carfully, one step after another when Dean pointed to a moving pile of rubble. Knudging Kim, and Kim knudging Sam, they all headed toward the extrails of the war scene, but as they got closer, it wasn't as threstening as it seemed.

"Cas? Cas. Hey, Cas?" Sam repeated, moving over to help Cas out of the rubble. He looked terrified. He body was riddled with bruises and cuts of multiple sized and depths, blood gushed from some of his wounds, but angels didn't bleed.

"Dean," Kim breathed. "He's bleeding."

"What's...? What's...? What's going on?" he asked frantically, still trying to gather his senses.

"Just take it easy. Take it easy," Dean told Cas as he struggled. "What does that have to do with anything. Of course, he's bleeding," Dean sighed.

"Oh. No," Cas breathed anxiously.

"No, you asshat. Angels don't bleed," Kim huffed angrily, her voice low and dominant. Dean looked at Kim with furrowed eyebrows before looking at 'Cas' and then back to her.

"Cas, you okay?" Sam asked quickly, going to help him.

"Ugh. Castiel. I'm not Castiel. It's me," the man said, his voice completely different from Cas. It wasn't as low or angelic. It was higher and flustered, less composed and commanding.

"Who's 'me'?" Sam asked, his worried eyes wondering between the three of them.

"Jimmy. My name's Jimmy," Jimmy introduced.

"Where the hell is Castiel?" Dean asked forcefully as Jimmy tried to compose himself.

"He's gone." Kim's mouth opened slightly as she inhaled, looking between the brothers who held the same look.

•※•

They returned to their motel room with Jimmy by their side. He was sitting at the motel table, devouring a hamburger while the three of them watched with slight disgust; which was quite hypocritical of Dean.

"You mind slowing down? You're gonna give me angina," Dean grimaced.

"I'm hungry," Jimmy replied bluntly, returning to his burger seconds later.

"When's the last time you ate?" Sam questioned.

"I don't know. Months," Jimmy replied as he took another bite and continued to eat ravenously, moaning with every mouthful.

"What the hell happened back there?" Kim asked, ignoring the meat crumbled at the corner of his mouth and the sauce dripping from his chin.

"All I remember is a flash of light and I, uh... I woke up and I was just, you know, like, me again," Jimmy explained.

"A flash of light?" Kim questioned. "Like, blindingly white?" she interrogated as Jimmy took another bite. Whipping the meat and sauce from his face, nodding as he did.

"Yeah," he replied.

"That happened when Anna slammed her hand on the symbol, remember? The angels were sent flying," Kim exclaimed as the boys nodded in agreement.

"But where did they go?" Dean asked and Kim weakly shrugged.

"You remember anything about being possessed? Anything at all?" Sam asked leaning forward.

"Yeah, bits and pieces. I mean, angel inside of you, it's kinda like being chained to a comet," Jimmy explained, taking another bite.

"That doesn't sound fun," Kim cringed as Jimmy huffed at her comment.

"Understatement," he scoffed.

"Cas said he wanted to tell us something. Please tell me you remember that," Dean asked, but he was sure that he didn't.

"Sorry," Jimmy apologised.

"Come on, what do you know?" Dean asked, more desperately.

"My name is Jimmy Novak. I'm from Pontiac, Illinois," Jimmy replied, looking between the three of them. Kim watched him curiously. He looked exactly like Castiel, yet so different. Different mannerisms. His posture was slumped unlike Castiel's and it really just odd to her that she had no idea what the real Castiel looked like, what he was capable of. How little she knew about him, how he overtook this man's life, ripping from his family, starving him.

Sighing, she looked up from her stare at Jimmy when she met gazes with Dean, gesturing for her to come outside with them. Forming a lined smile, she tore her eyes away from Jimmy and walked outside with the boys.

Exiting the motel the cool air hit her skin as the breeze brushed against the back of her neck sending her hairs on edge. Sighing, she leant up against the outside motel wall, rough and pebbly.

"So, what do we do?" Sam asked, crossing his arms.

"What do you mean? The guy's got a family. We buy him a bus ticket, send him home," Dean huffed obviously.

"Yeah, but what if Castiel comes back?" Kim asked.

"That's a big 'if' Kim. If he comes back, he'll find us. But right now this guy has a family to go home to. If Cas come back - 'if' - then he'll find us again," Dean sighed.

"Dean, he's the only lead we got," Sam intervened.

"He doesn't know anything," Dean reinforced.

"Are you one hundred per cent about that?" Sam asked.

"You think he's lying? What, you wanna go Guantanamo on the guy?" Dean huffed.

"Dean, maybe he doesn't even know what he knows," Sam replied, flailing his arms at the motel room.

"Huh?" Kim and Dean huffed at the same time.

"I say, at least we get him to Bobby's. Maybe all he needs is hypnosis or a psychic. Or hell, maybe Cas will just drop back into him," Sam enthused.

"Don't you think that's a bit much, Sam? Kidnapping a guy that just wants to get back to his family," Kim huffed.

"Kim, back there, that was angel-on-angel violence. Now, I don't know what's going on, but it's big. And we can't just let the only lead we got just skip out," Sam scoffed, unimpressed. Dean just shook his head. "What?"

"You remember when our job was helping people? Like, getting them back to their families?" Dean reminded.

"You think I don't want to help him? I'm just being realistic. I mean, hell, we're doing him a favor," Sam huffed.

"How?"

"Dean, if we want to question the guy, you can damn well bet the demons do, too," Sam replied, raising an eyebrow and Dean sighed in defeat.

•※•

"The hell are you talking about, I can't go home?" Jimmy leaned forward defensively as he sat the table, hamburger wrappers littered the table. Jimmy's eyes were narrow and hair shaggy. Kim swallowed the lump in her throat as he looked from Jimmy to Dean, who also looked a ting guilty.

"There's a good chance you have a bulls-eye on your back," Dean explained.

"What? From who?" Jimmy asked quickly.

"Demons."

"Come on, that's crazy. What do they want with me?" Jimmy scoffed.

"I don't know, information, maybe?" Kim shrugged.

"I don't know anything," Jimmy reminded as Dean rolled his eyes.

"I know, but –"

"Look, I'm done, okay? With demons, angels, all of it. I just want to go home," Jimmy sighed, looking lost.

"We understand, but we don't think they're done with you," Kim sighed, trying to reason with him.

"I don't think that you do understand. I've been shot and stabbed and healed, and my body has been dragged all over the Earth. By some miracle, I'm out, and I am done. I've given enough, okay?" Jimmy sighed, getting annoyed.

"Oh, I understand," Kim scoffed.

"Look, all we're saying is that until we figure this out, the safest place is with us," Sam added, looking at him sympathetically. Jimmy sighed, looking at her hand before looking up.

"How long?" he asked hopelessly.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Dean sighed and he stood up. Jimmy shook his head and stood up too. Sam watched as he moved towards the door and jumped in his way before he had the chance to get to the door.

"Where are you going?" Dean asked as he and Kim moved over to him.

"To see my wife and daughter, okay?" Jimmy said demandingly.

"No, you're not. You're just going to put those people in danger," Sam replied, keeping in his way.

"So, what, now I'm a prisoner?" Jimmy asked forcefully.

"Harsh way to put it," Sam replied but nodded. Jimmy looked around the room at Kim and Dean but they both kept their straight face. Kim sighed, moving to Jimmy with a blank expression.

"You can take the bed," Kim nodded, looking between the boys before heading to the couch and laying down on it. Sighing, she put her hands behind her head when she heard the boys get ready for bed. Rubbing her eyes, she felt her eyelids get heavier and she let them fall.

It was later that night, the motel room was deadly quiet and the air was just as still. The air was chilling and cool and Kim was asleep but it wouldn't take much to wake her up. It was late in the night; hours past midnight when Sam looked up from his position to see if Dean, Jimmy and Kim were asleep, and when it appeared to be safe, Sam get up and snuck out the motel door. Kim turned in her sleep restlessly. Seconds after Jimmy poked his head up from his sleeping position to follow suit, getting up and leaving the motel room just as Sam did, but not as quietly. With the closing of the door, Kim jolted upright and looked around frantically. The room was dangerously dark but listened for more noise. When she heard nothing for the next minute, she relaxed, resting her head back onto the couch and getting some much-deserved rest.


	51. Chapter Forty-Nine

It was the next day when they realised Jimmy was missing. Sam was freaking out, hurriedly packing his things at an attempt to hurry to find Jimmy, but Dean was leisurely brushing his teeth, toothpaste dripping down his chin. Kim was sitting on the couch she slept on, her bags already packed. She didn't have much to pack, it was an easy gather.

"Dean, would you hurry up?" Sam rushed, stuffing his clothes into his bag. Dean laughed with a mouth full of toothpaste. "Sorry, uh, this is funny to you?"

"Mr Big-Bad-Prison-Guard, Jimmy McMook give you the slip? Yeah, it's pretty funny. What were you doing, anyway?" Dean asked, spitting out his mouthful of toothpaste. Kim huffed and looked up at Sam.

"I was getting a Coke," Sam replied, nervously shrugging, feeling the glare Kim was giving him. Sam knew that Kim knew it wasn't a coke.

"Was it a refreshing Coke?" Dean teased mockingly.

"Can we just go, please?" Sam asked as he finally finished packing his bags.

•※•

Dean was driving down the road and Sam was sitting beside him while Kim took her usual stop in the back seat. It was quiet in the car, none of them spoke for a long time and the music was only as loud as a hum. It was quite relaxing until Anna suddenly appeared in the back seat, next to Kim.

Kim jumped when she saw and felt an instant presence next to her, snapping her head in the direction of Anna and Dean jerked the steering wheel in fright before swerving back onto the road.

"Oh, what the hell, Anna?" Kim huffed as she looked at her.

"Smooth," she laughed at Dean's actions.

"You ever try calling ahead?" Dean huffed, gathering his attention back onto the road.

"I like the element of surprise," she smirked as Kim rolled her eyes.

"Nice to know," Kim scoffed a laughed before relaxing.

"You let Jimmy get away?" Anna huffed and Dean and Kim automatically put their hands up in surrender.

"Talk to ginormo here," Dean smirked, pointing to Sam.

"Sam. You seem different," she replied and Sam smiled nervously.

"Me? I don't know. Heh. A haircut?" Sam huffed.

"Yeah right," Kim smirked.

"That's not what I'm talking about," Anna replied seriously, giving Sam and a meaningful look before he looked away. Anna thought nothing of it and turned to Dean. "So, what'd Jimmy tell you? Did he remember anything?"

"Why? What's going on?" Dean asked.

"It's Cas. He got sent back home. Well, more like dragged back," Anna replied.

"To heaven?" Kim asked. "That's not a good thing?"

"No. That's a very bad thing. Painfully, awfully bad. He must have seriously pissed someone off," Anna explained.

"Cas said he had something to tell me. Something important," Dean replied.

"What?" Anna asked eagerly.

"I don't know," Dean replied.

"Does Jimmy know?" she asked again.

"I don't think so."

"You don't think so? Whatever it is, it's huge. You gotta find out for sure," Anna replied and Sam nodded.

"That's why we're going after Jimmy," Sam assured.

"That's why you shouldn't have let him go in the first place. He's probably dead already."

Without a second warning or a chance to reply, Anna vanished from the car, leaving the back seat slightly cold. Kim huffed and wiggled in her seat, adjusting herself as she leant on the back window. The conversation died instantly and the familiar hum of the music returned to their ears.

Kim watched the scenery outside her window as they drove. How the darkness devoured the land as the moonlight dwindled. One thing Kim liked the most about driving on the night was how excepting it was. The night doesn't care. Not about who you are or what you've done or what monster you've become. There's no judgement or manifestation throughout the darkness because there's nothing to compare to. It just you and your thoughts, your soul - however troubled it may be - all alone. That's what Kim loved the most.

Kim rested her head on the car window and felt the vibrations of Baby's movements. She hoped the motion would give her mind some peace from the constant fluster it had been in lately; but not even the soothing movements of the road was enough to put Kim's rushing mind at rest; so she sighed, took a deep breath and closed her eyes as the night never judges.

•※•

It had been a long drive but Kim never slept a wink. The bags under her eyes were getting darker and larger and she could feel it. She hadn't been sleeping properly lately, ever since they discovered the 'Supernatural' books, she had had restless nights after restless nights. Every once in a while she was lucky if she got a good seven-hour sleep, but it was almost as rare as a miracle.

During the night, she felt Dean pull that car over to the side of the highway to take a half an hour nap and once she heard Dean snoring, she considered moving him and driving herself. She liked the ability to take in the scenery properly when being the passenger, but she honestly missed the freedom of driving. Feeling the wheel under her fingertips and the movements of the car following her will, but she knew no matter how much she craved the sweet sensation of a drive, Dean would be too hard to move and he - just like she - was a light sleeper.

He woke up soon after he stopped and continued on the drive to Jimmy's house. Every now and then he'd look at his rearview mirror and check on Kim. He'd smile at the calm expression on her face as she leant up against the window because he so desperately wanted to believe it was real, but even in Kim's time of rest, she was lying.

As night turned into day, Dean pulled over at a gas station to fill up Baby and gave them their first and only chance to stretch their legs. Kim hopped out of the car and stretched her legs and arms vigorously. Shaking herself into a more humane attitude, she slandered over to the gas station and bought herself a few iced coffees while Sam leant against the building next to an open window. One for now and two from the rest of the car ride.

Grabbing her drinks from the fridge, she walked up to the cashier and bought her items. There was a surprisingly long line for the gas station and she huffed as she waited at the back of the line which passed the entrance of the building. Sighing and moving along the line, she felt the gush of the wind from an open window.

"Where the hell are you, Ruby? This isn't funny anymore. I'm all out. Stop whatever you're doing. Call me. I need more," Kim heard Sam say on the phone.

"Next!" the cashier announced, calling out to Kim, but she was too busy staring at Sam in utter shock of realising that Ruby must have stocked Sam up with demon blood to know she was already at the front of the line.

"Miss? You're next," a male's voice said from behind Kim, tapping her on the shoulder. Kim snapped out of her gaze and instantly shot her head in the direction of the voice. Realising it was no threat, she sent him a lined smile and muttered thanks before buying her drinks and heading towards the car and setting herself in the back.

"Ready to go?" Dean asked, looking at Kim before turning to Sam. After they both nodded their heads, Dean nodded once and started the car.

From there it didn't take them long to get to Jimmy's house and Kim had finished all of her coffee's in that time, but when they arrived at Jimmy's house, she instantly knew something was wrong. His front door was wide open and although they didn't know Jimmy for long, he didn't seem like the type of person to leave the door open after hours of being at his house.

Cautiously getting out of the car, they were all startled by the sound of a woman screaming coming from inside the house.

"I've got the knife," Kim announce and instantly, Kim lowered her stance ad whipped out her knife from her waistband and jogged towards the house while Sam and Dean went to get the salt bullets and shotguns.

Running inside the house, it only took Kim and second to evaluate the situation. A pre-teen, blond, innocent girl cowered in the corner. A woman with jet black eyes wrestled another on the floor while Jimmy punched a man in the face with a candlestick.

Running over to the man attacking Jimmy, Kim held her knife to his throat, stopping him from fighting Jimmy. Instantly and mercilessly, she ripped the knife through his skin, killing the demon instantly giving Jimmy enough time to flee with his daughter. Kim panted slightly as she watched Sam throw his arm up and using his psychic abilities to exorcise the demon attacking the frightened woman. As the demon writhed inside the woman body, Sam looked at Dean and Kim.

"Go. Get them out of here," Sam called but neither of them listened.

"Go, go," Dean told the woman as Kim helped her off the floor. Sam continued to force the demon out of the woman but was unsuccessful. The woman choked as the demon overpowered Sam's abilities and stood up straight, smirking.

"Aw. Can't get it up, can you, Sam?" she smirked. Dean snatched the knife out of Kim's hand.

"No, but I can," but before Dean could stab her, the demon fled from the vessel, escaping the room. Instantly, Dean grabbed Kim and Sam by the back of their shirts and ran towards the Impala. "Come on, come on, come on, come on." The three of them run out towards the Impala where Jimmy and Clare, his daughter waited.

"Thank God," Jimmy breathed in relief when she saw all three of them return safely.

"Where's your wife?" Dean asked Jimmy, expecting him to know.

"Right here," a panting voice said from behind them. Looking over his shoulder to check it was her, he nodded.

"Let's go," he instructed and opened the back door for them to get in.

"Now is the type of situation where my car would be useful," Kim muttered as she waited for the three of them to move into the back seat, leaving no space for Kim to sit.

"Now's not the time, Kim," Dean huffed, throwing himself in the driver's seat causing Kim to huff.

"That's alright, Claire can sit on my lap," Amelia, Jimmy's wife smiled sadly, pulling her daughter onto her lap. Once Kim was able to squeeze her way in and shut the door, Dean started to drive away.

They drove away, not really to any specific place, there was nowhere to go. But they drove in any direction opposite the house and they drove for a while, probably to try and find a motel. The drive was long and uncomfortable, and night had fallen once again but Kim wasn't able to enjoy it as much with strangers sitting by her side. The young child that sat on her mother's lap next to her would have mood swings, which could be considered normal for a child who just went through what Claire did.

She would quiver, her mother trying her best to calm her down but she would just ramble, fear-stricken. Amelia shush her and bring peace back to the small area the six of them were squished into. When Claire finally calmed down, she needed a distraction to comfort her. She would play with Kim's hair, although it was black and straight and not even sort of entertaining, she continued to find entertainment in it. Kim scrunched her eyebrows together as she felt the hand found it's way into her hair and play with it, plat it and braid it. Kim tried to move away, but the car door was quite an obstacle.

Dean looked through the mirror to see Kim cringe away as the child reached for her again and smiled at her discomfort. Claire was a nice child, Kim had found to understand once she started talking to her. Claire moved off her mother lap and into the gap between Amelia and Kim. Kim wriggled away as the girl finished her second braid and Kim huffed and wondered why she chose her hair out of all the hair on the car.

"You have nice hair to braid," Claire justified, realising Kim said that out loud.

"Sam had nice hair, braid his," Kim huffed, pointing to Sam who laughed in the passenger seat.

"Hey, don't drag me into your beauty session," Sam huffed as Claire continued.

"Okay Claire, I think that's enough," Amelia laughed shakily, not really comfortable with the situation either consider Kim still had the stains of the demon's vessel on her clothes.

"But mom-"

"Listen to your mom, Claire," Jimmy nodded.

"But Kim doesn't mind, do you, Kim?" Claire asked, looking at Kim and instantly Kim was the centre of everyone attention.

"Uh," Kim choked. She really hated her hair being touched, but Kim looked into the innocent eye's of Claire and saw a girl who just had her childhood ripped away from her, and she just wanted to be a normal pre-teen girl. "I don't mind."

"Perfect," Claire smiled, starting a new braid. Kim sent a shaky, lined smile to Claire before turning around and sighing, waiting for her to finish or the car ride to be over, whichever came first.

Eventually, they pulled up to a parking garage and Kim managed to escape the hands of Claire, who had only managed to do eleven or so braids. Kim, Sam and Dean were all outside of the Impala, talking to Jimmy while Claire and Amelia were in the backseat of the car.

"You were right," Jimmy breathed, looking down.

"I'm sorry we were," Dean sighed.

"I'm telling you, I don't know anything," Jimmy pleaded.

"I don't think they're inclined to believe you," Dean continued.

"And even if they did, you're a vessel. They're still gonna wanna know what makes you tick," Sam sighed.

"Which means vivisection if they're feeling generous," Dean said darkly.

"I'm gonna tell you once again, you're putting your family in danger. You have to come with us," Sam stated firmly and Jimmy sighed, knowing now that it was the truth.

"How long? And don't give me that 'cross that bridge when we get to it' crap," Jimmy sussed.

"Don't you get it? Forever. The demons will never stop. You can never be with your family. So you either get as far away from them as possible or you put a bullet in your head. And that's how you keep your family safe. But there's no getting out and there's no going home," Sam said forcefully, and more aggressive then he would have hopped.

"Well, don't sugarcoat it, Sam," Dean sassed.

"I'm just telling him the truth, Dean. Someone has to." Sam looked at Jimmy and sighed when she saw the devastation on his face.

"Sorry, but it's for the safety of your family," Kim sighed, patting his shoulder once before turning around.

•※•

The night kept going, it seemed to be one of the longest nights Kim had ever experienced. With nothing to do and no chance of falling asleep, she was forced to face the hours of the night alone. After convincing Jimmy to leave his family for their safety, they went to find a place to stay the night while Jimmy was asleep in the Impala and Kim sighed softly to herself when she heard the brothers talking.

"What the hell happened back there?" Dean asked his brother with a tone of urgency.

"What?" Sam asked shrugging.

"You practically fainted trying to gank a demon," Dean hissed in a whisper earning a nervous swallow form Sam.

"Okay, I didn't faint. I got a little dizzy," Sam replied, rolling his eyes at his brother.

"Well, you can call it whatever you want. Point is, you used to be strong enough to kill Alastair. Now you can't even kill a stunt-demon number three?" Dean asked gesturing to Sam and Sam sighed, shrugging, playing as if he had no idea what was happening to him.

"What do you want me to say about it, Dean?" Sam sighed.

"Well for starters, what's going on with your mojo? I mean, it's yo-yo-ing all over the place. I'm not trying to pick a fight here, okay? I just – you're scaring me, man." Dean blurted, looking to Sam brotherly.

"I'm scaring myself," Sam sighed only to be interrupted by a phone ring. quickly, Sam answered his phone with a questioning look. "Hello?... Who is this?" Sam turned the phone to Jimmy, waking him up. "Hey. It's your wife."

Jimmy woke up groggily, whipping the sleep from his eyes and sloppily grabbing the phone. He yawned as he brought the phone to his ear and listened to the panicked voice of Amelia.

"Amelia?... Oh my God."

•※•

It was a panic rush to dive back to the warehouse they were in not long ago. Dean floored the peddle but it still wasn't fast enough for Jimmy's liking. Kim tried to calm him down in the back but she wasn't the best at comforting. She just sat there, rubbing his back as he hyperventilated and Kim realised the differences between Jimmy and Castiel kept getting larger the longer she knew Jimmy.

Skidding to a stop, the four of them hopped out of the Impala and the three of them headed straight for the trunk to gather their things. Kim already had her Knife of Kurds, but she had to be prepared for anything. Grabbing her iron knife and a few guns and shoving them in her sock, they prepared for what was inside.

"Alright, they're expecting you to come alone. That's exactly what you're gonna do," Dean explained.

"We'll work our way through the catwalks. We'll be right behind you," Sam confirmed.

"All you gotta do is stay calm and stall. Let us do our job," Dean insured and Jimmy scoffed.

"You want me to stay calm? This is my family we're talking about," Jimmy hissed anxiously.

"Alright, we get it, families important. We know you have your little girl in there so we're going to do our jobs the best we can, but we can't do that without your distraction. This is gonna work," Kim insured, nodding, looking Jimmy straight in the eye. Her tone was so confident it was hard for Jimmy not to believe her.

"You understand? Nobody's gonna get hurt," Dean nodded. Jimmy swallowed a lump in his throat and nodded.

"Yeah, whatever. Give me a minute, okay?" Jimmy walked away from them and towards the warehouse as the three of them walked away. When they were in the shadows, they started to talk.

"There's no way they're expecting him to come alone. You know this is probably a trap," Sam told them and they nodded.

"Yeah, I know. That's why I have a plan," Dean said, looking between Sam and Kim. Wearily, Kim to looked to Sam with the same nervous expression he held.

"It's a horrible plan," Kim said quickly before even giving Dean the chance to explain his plan.

"Oh, shut up Kim. I don't see you coming up with any ideas," Dean huffed as he adjusted his gun in his waistband. "I need the knife," Dean told Kim, holding his hand out. Kim stared at his hand mindlessly.

"No," Kim huffed, keeping it in her waistband safe and secure.

"Oh, come on Kim," Dean scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, sorry. I guess I wasn't straightforward enough," Kim huffed. "Hell no. Last time you had it, you lost it."

"Kim, we don't have time for this." Dean gestured for Kim to hand her the demon knife more forcefully and Kim scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Stop wasting time, Kim!"

"Fine!" Grabbing her knife and shoving it into Dean's hand, she watched his grasp it and place it in his waistband.

"Great. Follow me." Dean started to move off. Sam looked own on Kim who shrugged knowing she had no other plan. Sighing they moved after Dean and towards the back entrance. Dean jiggled the doorknob but it was locked. Grabbing the lockpick, Kim and Sam watched Dean fiddle with the lock with his tools. Kim sighed behind him and grabbed out a gun from her sock.

"I thought you said not to waste time." Kim sent one kick towards the locked door and it swung open freely, but Kim instantly wished she hadn't opened the door at all. As the door flung open, they were greeted with a small group of demons waiting for them.

"Oh great."

Kim marched in while Dean grabbed out the knife. Kim aimed her gun quickly and was about to pull the trigger when she felt someone kick her in the back, sending her flying forward. Before she could even register what had happened, someone had curved her arms behind her, forcing her to drop her gun. The man pulled her up by her arms and Kim watched as Dean and Sam stood as she was trapped by demons.

"Not even one demon," Kim huffed as she looked around, seeing nobody on the ground.

Sighing, Kim and the others were forcefully shoved forward, being lead somewhere.

"Oh, you're such a liar. Like I didn't think you'd bring Heckle, Jeckle and Gandy, hmm?" Amelia sassed as her demons brought in Kim, Sam and Dean.

"Nice plan, Dean," Sam sassed.

"Yeah, well Kim burst open the door," Dean huffed.

"Yeah, the door you lead us to. Those demons were waiting there for us," Kim justified.

"Got the knife?" Amelia asked one of the demons. Kim stiffened when she heard her demand and wriggled in the grips of the demon to break free as one walked up to Amelia with it clear in his hand.

"You let them take the knife!" Kim screamed at Dean.

"Hey! They ambushed us," Dean huffed, slightly disappointed at himself.

"I never should have let you take the knife," Kim whispered under her breath, but she knew Dean heard her.

"And you know what's funny?" Amelia said, smirking.

"You wearing a soccer mom?" Dean sassed.

"I was actually bummed to get this detail, picking up an empty vessel. Sort of like a milk run. Now look who landed in my lap," she fake pouted.

"Yeah, must suck. If you want you can let us go and keep chasing?" Kim suggested and Amelia rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, well, you got us, okay? Let these people go," Sam said.

"Oh, Sam. It's easy to act chivalrous when your Wonder Girl powers aren't working, huh? Now for the punch line. Everybody dies." Instantly, Amelia held up the gun and shot Jimmy in the gut, causing him to fall to his knees painfully. "Waste Little Orphan Annie," Amelia ordered one of her demons before exiting the room.

All heads turned to Claire who Kim hadn't noticed when she first entered the room. Claire was unconscious and tied up in a chair across the other side of the room. Kim watched as the demon smirked, grabbing a pipe and swings it towards her but Claire suddenly grabbed the pipe with one hand and placed the other on the demon's forehead. A bright light erupted from the demon causing him to fall to the floor.

In a rush, Kim used this distraction to kick free from the demon, kicking the demon in his knee. Unravelling herself from the grips of the demon, she punched the demon in the face causing him to stumble back. Her fists started to sting as she continuously punched the demon, blood sprouted from her knuckles. As she swung her next hit, the demon grabbed her fist and squeezed. Twisting her arm, the demon brought Kim to her knees as she let out a painful scream. With a strong flick, the demon sent Kim across the room and landing on her side.

The concrete floor was cooling as her heated cheek pressed against it. She looked up but her vision was blurry. Her whole sight was fuzzy but she watched as Claire kneeled down in front of Jimmy as he laid on the floor. She winced as she closed her eyes, the blur giving her a headache as she felt herself being pulled off the ground.

Stumbling, she swung a stumbled punch towards the demon who lifted ber, but it missed and Kim stumbled back as he sent a blow straight to her nose. She felt her warm blood drip from her nose and over her lips. A pain erupted in her nose as another punch was sent straight to her jaw. Stumbling away from him, she spat out a mouthful of blood but the taste of metal littered her mouth.

"I don't know what's so special about you," the demon hissed. "You're weak."

With her head hung slightly, she looked up at the demon and smirked, her teeth stained crimson red. Her head started to swirl and it was impossible for her to walk straight, but she charged at the demon, putting her hands on his shoulders and pushing herself up to wrap her legs around his neck, twisting her legs to tighten her grip.

"Dean! The knife!" she yelled, quickly searching the room for whoever had the knife. Sam chucked Kim the knife and she grabbed it with one hand. Instantly, she stabbed him six times in the back until orange light spurted out of him.

The demon's vessel collapsed, bringing Kim down with him. Kim fell from his shoulders and landed in a lump in on the floor with a 'humph'. She rubbed her ribs as she stood up, it was obvious they were bruised because every time she moved her arms they stung. She limped her way over to Dean and lunged for his body for stability. Grabbing onto his shoulder with one hand and the other putting pressure on her ribs, her head was hung as she winced, taking deep breathes to control the pain. When she looked up, she saw Dean staring straight ahead, his mouth hung open with horror and disgust. Kim winces as she straightened herself, raising an eyebrow at his expression. Kim followed his gaze, her gaze slow and strong, and she gagged when she recognised what she saw. At first, she didn't realise what was happening but it quickly came to register what was going on.

Dean, Castiel and Kim stood there as they watched Sam hunch over a demon, his lips attached to her neck. They watched as he gripped her desperately, his grunts and moans of pleasure released him as he sucked on her neck. His hungry and greedy hands pulled the demon closer as a drop of blood rolled away from his lips.

The silence overcame Sam and it wasn't long until he realised they were watching him, but it was too late. His desperate cravings overtook him, the pure need to have the demon blood pumping through him was too strong to ignore and the urge took control of his reasoning. Sam turned to them as they stared at him in horror, his mouth covered in blood and his teeth stained red. His eyes widen as he stared back, instantly ripping his hands off the demon and leaving her to drop.

He started to walk over to Kim, Dean and Cas and held his hand out just in time to catch Amelia before she left. His stare was strong as he glared at her, his psychic abilities were much stronger than the last time he used them. No more shaking, no more headaches and no more bloody nose. It was simple. Amelia fell to the floor as the demon left her body. Dean and Kim ran over to Amelia as she fell, catching her before she fell. Dean brought her down slowly and rested her on the cold warehouse floor. Kim and Dean watched over her as Castiel who was possessing Claire walking over to Jimmy as he laid on the floor, bleeding out.

"Of course we keep our promises. Of course, you have our gratitude. You served us well. Your work is done. It's time to go home now. Your real home. You'll rest forever in the fields of the Lord. Rest now, Jimmy," Castiel consoled Jimmy as he slowly died, choking on his own blood.

"No," Jimmy choked. "Claire?"

"She's with me now. She's chosen. It's in her blood, as it was in yours."

"Please, Castiel. Me, just take me. Take me, please," Jimmy begged, his mouth stained with blood as tears rolled down his cheek. He was holding himself up but it was almost impossible as the pain shot through his body. Sam, Kim and Dean approached slowly, looking down as Castile crouched to JImmy's level.

"I wanna make sure you understand. You won't die or age. If this last year was painful for you, picture a hundred, a thousand more like it," Castiel explained.

"It doesn't matter. You take me. Just take me," he begged. Castiel sighed and nodded, his lips pressed in a line with his shaggy hair as loose, blue tie.

"As you wish." Castiel touched Jimmy's forehead and a bright light emanated from his eyes and mouth. Claire dropped to her knees and Castiel possessed Jimmy. He walked passed Claire and Amelia and stood near Sam, Dean and Kim. They watched as Amelia ran to Claire and embraced her motherly, holding her in her arms, turning to look at Castiel in horror. Castiel nodded once turned to leave.

"Cas, hold up. What were you gonna tell me?" Dean asked quickly, hurrying to stop him.

"I learned my lesson while I was away, Dean. I serve heaven, I don't serve man, and I certainly don't serve you," Castiel clarified firmly, looking up at Dean before turning away and leaving without looking back.

•※•

The rain rattled on the roof of the Impala as Dean drove down the highway in silence. Kim sat in the back as he watched the rain roll down the window to set a gloomy feature to the night. The silence was deafening as Sam sat in anticipation in the front, waiting for the backlashing from Dean. He sat restlessly before sighing heavily.

"All right, let's hear it," Sam crocked angrily, throwing his hands up.

"What?" Dean asked, unbothered as he looked straight ahead.

"Drop the bomb, man. You saw what I did. Come on, stop the car, take a swing," Sam encouraged, waiting for the scolding. It was irritating that he wasn't getting it. He needed it, and he needed it now because if he didn't get it. Dean was going to let it fester and fester until Sam did one more thing wrong and it would unleash like Hell.

"I'm not gonna take a swing," Dean sighed.

"Then scream, chew me out," Sam enthused.

"I'm not mad, Sam."

"Come on. You're not mad?" Sam scoffed. Kim listened from the back seat and watched Dean's expression change in the mirror.

"Nope," he lied.

"Right. Look, at least let me explain myself," Sam tied but Dean wasn't in the mood.

"Don't. I don't care," Dean replied forcefully.

"You don't care?" Sam asked in disbelief.

"What do you want me to say, that I'm disappointed? Yeah, I am. But, mostly, I'm just tired, man. I'm done. I am just done." Dean sounded tired, his tone filled with disappointment. Sam sighed, disappointed in himself, but he needed to be scolded, he was just waiting for the lash out, so he turned to Kim who sat quietly in the back.

"What about you, Kim? Huh, got anything to say?" Sam jeered. Kim sighed, looking up from her headrest and staring at Sam.

"I gagged," she replied before turning back to her headrest as Sam's phone rang.

"Hey, Bobby. What's going on?" Sam listened for a while before hanging up the phone.

"What'd he say?" Dean asked, not looking at Sam. Sam looked to Dean, who didn't register he was looking at him.

•※•

The three of them found their way into Bobby's basement as they approached the panic room. Dean, Bobby and Kim walked side by side as Sam trailed behind. Kim dragged her feet along the ground as they walked, listening to Bobby talk.

"Well, thanks for shaking a tail," Bobby said as he walked.

"Yeah, you got it," Dean nodded, looking around. Slowly, they walked up to the panic room until they reached the closed door. Sam looked at it before opening the door and checking inside.

"Go on inside. I wanna show you something." Sam pursed his lips and walked in, Kim soon following after him as Dean and Bobby hang back.

"Aye, Kim, come here for a sec," Dean called. Kim looked over her shoulder and walked to Dean, leaving Sam alone in the room.

"All right. So, uh, what's the big demon problem?" Sam asked, walking to the centre of the room.

"You are. This is for your own good," Bobby announced slamming the heavy, steel door behind him. Sam watched as the door locked, trapping him inside. Sam furrowed his eyebrows, walking up to the barred window in the door.

"Guys? Hey, hey. What?" Sam asked, tapping on the window. Instantly, Bobby closed and latched the window. "This isn't funny. Guys! Hey! Guys?" Sam screamed for them but it only came out as a muffled and panicked. Soft bangs from the metal erupted softly, all sounds were muffled and compressed.

Kim watched in shock as Dean and Bobby turned away mindlessly, walking away as easy as it was to lock him in there. Kim turned around on one foot and watched in disgust as they ignored the pleas and begs of Sam.

"Dean!" Kim hissed, causing him to turn to Kim just as he made it to the bottom of the stairs. "What the hell was that? You just locked Sam up in the panic room!" Dean looked at Kim before turning to Bobby and gesturing for him to head upstairs. Bobby huffed and marched upstairs, leaving Kim and Dean in the basement.

"What?" Dean sassed.

"This is a bit extream," Kim huffed. "Don't you think?" Dean started at Kim and squinted his eyes at her stalked toward her, pointing at her threateningly.

"You knew about this and didn't tell me," Dean hissed, his walk not stopping as he got closer. Kim stood her stance as he marched towards her. "You knew and you didn't tell me."

"I didn't know it was this bad, Dean," Kim fumed.

"Well, guess what. It was!" Dean yelled, marching even closer, his eyes piercing through her. "You know, you're lucking I didn't lock you in there," he bellowed. Kim scoffed and stepped back as he got closer.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me! Yeah, Sam told me about what you did to Lilith," Dean hissed. "I have as much reason to lock you up in there as Sam!" Dean yelled. Dean got closer and closer until he was nose to nose with her. Kim swallowed a lump in her throat as he took another step back. He was fuming, his face turning a shade of red as was Kim's.

"I do not drink demon blood!"

"But you're just as dangerous! You have a power Heaven and Hell want and you can't control it. Something is bound to happen and whatever it is, it's on your hands!" Dean raged, saliva flying from his mouth. Kim took another step back.

"That's enough Dean!"

"You walked straight in there, you know! I could have slammed the door right behind you!"

"Well, why didn't you!"

"Because you can kill Lilith! That's all you're good for!" Dean screamed, his voice radiating in Kim's ear. Kim was taken back, slightly hurt by what he said. Kim swallowed a lump in her throat and looked up at him as he towered over her.

Dean immediately regretted what he said and took a few steps back from towering over Kim. Kim let out a breath and fixed her posture. She had nothing to say to him, nothing at all. She didn't want to justify to him nor did she need to. She huffed, pushing past him as he walked away.

"Kim," Dean said apologetically but she didn't reply. "Kim! I'm sorry!"


	52. Chapter Fifty

It was the same night, but by now the night had turned to early morning and no one had got any sleep. Dean hadn't emerged from the basement since Kim left him there in the dust, but she could hear him yelling at Sam, telling him how disappointed he was in him, calling him weak, desperate, pathetic, a liar. Kim and Bobby listened from the living room as Kim sat in an armchair, her legs curled underneath her.

She sat with a cup of coffee containing forty per cent coffee and sixty per cent whisky. Bobby sat at his desk eyeing Kim off carefully, she could see him from the corner of her eye and she sighed. Everyone who Kim had learnt to trust were the first people to lose faith in her as they became more aware of her situation. The look Bobby gave her made her wonder if he had lost trust and faith in her too.

Shaking her head softly, she took a sip of her 'coffee' and sighed as it burned her throat. The heat of the coffee and the burn of the liquor warmed her up, but it was nothing compared to the cold stare Bobby was giving her.

"Dean told you," Kim sighed softly, not looking up at Bobby as he stared at her, keeping her vision on her drink.

"He may have said some things," Bobby huffed, still staring at her viciously, making Kim visibly angry.

"Quit the glare, would ya?" Kim huffed. "I'm not gonna kill you?" Bobby rolled his eyes and tore his eyes away from her, returning to his work on his desk as Kim returned to her drink, taking another sip.

Minutes have passed and Kim still felt Bobby's glares towards her. They were short and quick as if he was looking at a bomb about to blow. He thought she couldn't see his quick glares, but they were more than obvious and she wasn't about to hang around where she wasn't welcome.

"Yeah, I'm done," she sighed, getting up and sculling the rest if her 'coffee'. Bobby shot up immediately in defence and Kim raised an eyebrow in amusement. Kim could see him reaching under his desk for a gun and Kim smirked. She took a step towards Bobby, she smirked perfectly sinister and she heard the gun click, her smirk only grew and she took another step. Bobby whipped out the gun from under his desk and aimed it at Kim, but she didn't even hesitate to take another step.

"I guess Dean forgot to tell you that you can't kill me," Kim smirked evilly, finding the horror in his expression quite amusing. She took another step, almost directly in front of the desk and Bobby immediately took a shot.

He fired the gun at Kim's shoulder and she hissed in pain. She could feel the warm blood drip from her wound as she took another step. This time Bobby shot directly into Kim's chest and she wallowed in pain, her hand flying to her wounded area. Bobby expected her to fall to the floor, her lifeless body underneath him, but she only screamed. The pain was fast and hot, and it continued to linger. It was wrenching as Kim took a deep breath in, determined to show she was better than him. Putting pressure on her wound and her head hung, she looked up at him angrily. She stared at him as she pulled out the bullet from her chest with her fingers and threw it on the floor.

"Nice try," she breathed, feeling the blood pour out of her and around her hand as she put pressure on the wound. She smirked as Bobby took a frightened step back. Kim huffed and spat a mouthful of blood on his floor. Moving towards his desk, Kim kept eye contact with his as she leaned over the desk and grabbed her car keys from the second draw down. Holding the up, she smirked and turned to leave, gathered what she could, leaving her knife behind in the rush and not saying another word, only leaving a trail of blood behind her.

She marched outside and headed toward her car, unlocking it as she walked. The car clicked open and she limped over to the car, pulling the door open with her injured arm. She groaned in pain and let her arm go limp from pain and exhaustion. She panted, the wind was taken from her as she walked. Her hand was pooling with blood and she tried to climb into her tall car, using her injured arm to pull herself up, but she was too sore. Cursing to herself, she heard a voice calling her from behind.

She turned her head to see Dean looking at her from Bobby's balcony, calling out to her. She sighed and rolled her eyes. His voice was the only motivation she needed to ignore the pain and pull herself into the car. With a small cry of pain, she plonked herself in the car and slammed the car door shut as Dean started running to her.

"Kim!" he called. "Come on!" he called out, running up the car. Kim put the keys in the ignition and listened to the car purr. Dean heard the motion to move and ran in front of the car in an effort to stop her from driving off. Kim sighed and rolled her eyes, putting her foot on the petal to make the car rev, but Dean didn't even flinch.

"Don't think I won't run you over," Kim yelled out to Dean once she stuck her head out the window.

"Stay Kim, we need your help," Dean sighed, not moving from in front of the car.

"What? 'Cause I can kill Lilith?" she sassed. "Or because you need to keep an eye on me and make sure I don't kill anyone. Or maybe you need me as a human shield, considering I just got shot in the chest and am not dead!" Kim hissed.

"You know I wouldn't do that," Dean huffed.

"Do I?" she asked, leaving her words lingered in the air for a minute. She sighed and shook her head, putting the car into drive and driving quickly around Dean. Groaning as she drove, she pulled out the bullets from her shoulder, throwing it out the open window and towards Dean, leaving him in a pile of her own dust.

She didn't know where she was going or what she would do, but she wasn't going to hang around people who were willing to harm her when she did nothing wrong. She couldn't control who she was or the abilities she held. It fired up when she was scared or angry, she never really had much control over them and she knew that made her unpredictable and unreliable, but she wasn't a monster, morally, and it hurt her that Bobby and Dean didn't see that after all the years she has been with them.

She groaned as she drove, the blood still pouring out of her and her hand still applying as much pressure as it could, but even with the punctured heart and blood loss, she didn't feel faint or permanently injured. Of course, it still hurt like any other time she had been shot. Sighing, she looked lowly down the road, questioning her how she ended up in this situation and continued to drive into the horizon.

•※•

Kim drove until her car ran out of gas, which was longer than she expected. She drove for miles with her car telling her to fill up, but she was too distracted by her own mind and her own thoughts. She just kept her foot on the pedal and didn't take it off until the car stopped rolling.

She had stopped on the outskirts of some town she wasn't planning to stay in long. In fact, that was her only plan, to keep driving and driving until she ran out of petrol again. She wouldn't stop for food or a toilet break and God knows she definitely won't stop for a nap, she wouldn't be able to sleep anyway.

The bags under her eyes were getting darker and bigger with every hour she refused to sleep, and her hair was shaggy and messy from undernourishment and her muscles were sore from lack of attention.

Kim hopped out of the car, her hand still pressed to her chest. Slowly, as she stood outside, she released her hand from her chest, feeling the dry blood crinkle over her hand and shirt. She was drenched in blood and her hands looked like she just dipped them in blood. Kim sighed and quickly took off her shirt and threw it in the trunk of her car. The warm air was cool on her naked skin as she undressed. She searched through her bag to find a clean shirt and new bra, both were ruined. After grabbing the first top and bra she could find, she took off her bra and replaced it with the fresh new one. She looked at her pants and saw that they were mostly clean, only a large blob of blood at the top of her waistband and a few sprinkles of blood below which could easily be covered by her shirt.

Annoyed, she pulled her shirt down to cover the stain and slammed her trunk shut, making the long walk towards the gas station. She rubbed her eyes as she walked, down the hill towards the town, trying to keep her eyes open. She was extremely tired but whenever she laid down or closed her eyes, she could never sleep. She was forever restless and could never be tired enough to actually sleep.

The town was like any other, kind of quiet, kind of busy. Small shops dotted the streets and a small park was in the centre of the town where Kim heard children scream and play. Their loud, high pitched voices irritated her greatly as she walked passed and she prayed the gas station was close by.

She looked around the town and it was quite nice and safe looking. The trees were tall and green, but mostly, they were everywhere. The town was littered with different types of trees of different shades and heights. It was quite beautiful. Everywhere Kim walked she was walking under the shade of trees and leaves. Kim looked up at the tree above her and saw the different shades of green and how they looked different as the sun shone through them and Kim ginned ghostly.

Kim made it to the gas station and bought a container to hold the gas and filled up the container as much as she could before walking inside and paying for the gas. The container was huge and when it was filled with liquid, it got heavier. Kim heaved the filled container to the counter and paid for it, and she sighed as she realised she had to lug it up a hill and to her car.

Groaning, she heaved the container and started to march back to her car. She walked back past the street and shops, under the trees and pass the children's playground. Kim walked pass a family enjoying their day in the sun. Two children playing on the playground while the husband and his wife enjoyed a chat on the bench, watching over them. They were laughing and smiling the widest smile Kim had ever seen, pure and genuine. Their children would run off the playground and into their arms and the parent would hug and kiss them lovingly, before taking their kids back home without the fear of when their parent would have to leave for work and wonder if they were ever going to come back.

Kim started to scowl unconscionably, unknowingly quickening her pace. She wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible, and although she dreaded the hill her car was parked on top of but she much rather tackle the hill than have to watched that sickening family anymore.

She marched up the hill and her car was in sight. Her arms were heavy as she felt like her shoulder had been pulled out of its socket it was so heavy. Heaving the container one more meter to her car, she poured the gas into her car. She watched as she filled up the car and emptied the container, her arms crying in pleasure as it got lighter. She put the container on her trunk and drove off to nowhere in particular.

She drove past other towns and ignored calls coming from her phone, but it just kept ringing. Sighing, she picked up the phone to see who it was, and she saw the name 'Dean' she muted it and threw her phone into the back of the car.

•※•

Kim drove until she found a motel a couple towns away. She pulled up to the motel and parked her car in a car park in the furthest corner of the motel. Hopping out of the car, she walked up to the register and ordered a room. The hotel wasn't shabby at all, quite nice actually, something to keep Dean off her heel as she ran. She wasn't even sure he was looking for her, but it was better if she covered her tracks anyway.

"One room, please," Kim asked, pulling out some cash from her bag so that she couldn't be tracked.

"We have two rooms left, the honeymoon suite or the deluxe suite," the man behind the register said.

"Whichever's cheaper," Kim huffed and the man nodded.

"Deluxe suite it is. They're right next to each other anyway," he said. "Here's the keys." He handed them over and Kim took them off him.

"Thanks," she replied, grabbing her duffel bag from the floor and swung it over her shoulder. Marching to her room, she opened the door and threw herself inside. She had been driving all day and she promised herself she wouldn't stop unless she was on the verge of fainting, and she wasn't, but she knew why she stopped.

She was hungry, bored, tired and sore. Her muscles were aching and her eyes were about to shut. Her wounds were clearing up but it still hurt for her to lift anything or bend over. She laid down on the bed and rested her head on the pillow. She really wanted to sleep, desperately needed a good few hours to recharge. She closed her eyes and waited for sleep to overtake her, she didn't even bother to get a meal to eat all day.

She was so tired and heavy, but she never felt the tiniest bit sleepy. She tossed and turned, but she refused to open her eyes. She shoved the sheets between her legs and the pillow in front of her to hold to try and help her sleep, but it was useless. Minutes turned into hours and the night turned into morning and she hadn't slept a minute, but she did get a nice rest.

Groaning, she rolled out of bed and checked her phone and realised it was earlier than she thought.

5:42

She sighed and ran her hands through her hair, swinging her feet off the bed. Her stomach growled for food but she couldn't bare to think of eating. She sighed, walking into the bathroom and took a shower. The water fell down her body as she stepped into the shower and she relaxed her muscles and washed her wounds and they cleared up, a lot faster than they should have.

She just stepped out of the shower when there was a knock on the door. Quickly, she dried herself off and called the person outside.

"I'll be out in a minute," she called, but she heard the knocking again. She rushed and rapidly gathered her clothes, stepping unstably into her pair of pants, hopping around the room. The knocking continued. "I'll be there is a minute!"

Pulling her pants all the way up she grabbed her top and threw it on.

"I'm coming!" she screamed, jogging towards the door, half dressed and wet hair dripping down her top. The knocking continued until she threw open the door but no one was there. Kim furrowed her eyebrows and reached for her gun which would normally be in her waistband, but she had no time to grab it before the guest knocked the door down and she was unarmed. She took a step outside and looked both ways to see if anyone was there.

There was not.

Sighing and rolling her eyes, she turned to go inside when she saw a brown-haired, muscular figure sitting on the couch in her room, his back facing her. Kim quickly reached for a gun that was in her duffel bag near the bed and held it up and aimed for his head.

"Stand up. Now!" Kim ordered as she moved towards the figure cautiously and slowly, moving around the couch so she could see his face. Her eyes scanned him as he sat comfortably, even though she aimed a gun toward him. She scanned his face and let out a great sigh and let her arm go limp, lowering her gun and rolling her eyes.

"Are you always so dramatic?" she huffed, looking into his whisky eyes.

"I like to keep it exciting," he smirked and hopped up from his seat. Magically, he twirled his hand in the air and a handful of candy appeared in his hand. "Candy?" he offered. Kim eyed him suspiciously, before reaching out and grabbing a peanut m&m and popped it into her mouth. It was the first thing she had eaten in two days and the second it entered her stomach, it made her nauseous. The Trickster smirked and threw some candy into his mouth as he eyed her. "You look like you haven't eaten in day's, sweetheart," he added, walking towards her.

"That's cause I haven't," she replied, crossing her arms. His eyes widened and he opened his mouth, and with a quick click of his fingers, a large buffet of food appeared on the table behind them.

"Well, you have an endless supply of food now so dig in," he said, gesturing to the table. "Go on, what're you waiting for?" he smirked. Kim looked at the table and them back to the Trickster.

"No, I can't eat. I'll be sick," she sighed wiping her head. "Why are you being so nice to me, anyway?"

"Oh, I don't know," he smirked, moving over to her. "I'm in the generous mood."

"Yeah, well, last time I saw you, you threw me into an imaginary world where monsters tried to kill me and my family," Kim huffed, taking a step back.

"Any different from the real world?" Trickster asked, grinning. Kim pursed her lips and through for a second.

"Not the point," she said, relaxing her strict posture.

"How's the whole running from Heaven and Hell going for you?" he asked, catching Kim off guard, making her choke a little bit.

"What?" Kim choked.

"You know. You're mysterious power that all the angels and demons want," he reminded derogatory tone, making Kim roll her eyes. "The uncontrollable ability and pain and what-not," he rolled on.

"Yeah, I get it. How do you know about that?" she asked.

"Oh, every mythical Tom, Dick and Harry know about you," he emphasised and Kim furrowed her eyebrows.

"Oh- Oh great," she sighed angrily, running her hand through her damp hair. "Oh, this is just fantastic. What the hell am I gonna do?"

"What you were meant to do in the first place," the Trickster enthused. "You need to end this, Kim. Not those morons, the angles have them stuffed like puppets. You! It was always you!" he shouted at her as if everything he had just said made sense to her. Kim furrowed her eyebrows.

"My job?" she said, marching up to the Trickster and he put his hand up in surrender. "What do you know?"

"Hey, I'm just here to check up on you. Make sure no demon or angle kidnaps you like before," he argued with a smirk and Kim stopped in her tracks.

"How did you know about that?" she asked softly, remembering the torture she was put through. "What do you know about me?" She looked down at the through and sighed, before looking up in one sharp movement; he was gone.

•※•

The day was going by smoothly and Kim had gone out for a few hours until it was a reasonable hour for people to be awake. She arrived back at her motel room with only one shopping bag in her hand, which was more than she expected honestly, but she saw a book in the window of an antique store and she couldn't resist buying 'The Scarlet Letter'. It had been a while since she had a new book to read, and although she didn't remember how she ended up with the 'Mary Poppins's' novel she was glad she had it.

As she walked to her hotel room, she heard something familiar in the room she was walking past. Kim furrowed her eyebrows and intrusively stopped at the door to listen more carefully. She knew it was morally wrong but she didn't regret it for a second when she heard what she did.

"- because the final seals are breaking," a woman's voice spoke, but it was slightly muffled by the wall in between them.

"How many are left?" a familiar voice said, but she couldn't make it out, the muffling was too great.

"Three...two..."

"What? Where are the angels?" the male voice asked.

"Screwing the pooch, wherever they are. The point is, it's looking more and more like we're getting down to the final seal. And I found out something big," the female voice said and Kim leaned in closer.

"What?"

"Seal sixty-six. It can't be broken by just any demon. Apparently, only Lucifer's first can do it," the female voice continued.

"Lucifer's first?" the man's voice said, and Kim furrowed her eyebrows.

"Lilith," Kim whispered to herself before grabbing her gun from her waistband and holding it up. Kim quickly looked around before kicking the door in, marching in with the gun aim. Kim searched the room, which was filled with shades of red, white and pink. Obviously the honeymoon suite. Kim turned towards the bed and saw two familiar people laying half naked in the heart-shaped bed, covered by the bed sheet.

Kim cringed in disgust and gaged, quickly closing her eyes and turning away.

"What the hell, Sam!" Kim grimaced, trying to erase the imagery in her head of him and Ruby in bed together.

"You're the one that marched in here, kicking the door open," Ruby excused dramatically. Kim shivered in disgust as she heard them shuffle to put the clothes on.

"Is it clean? Can I turn around," Kim cringed, still shielding her eyes.

"Stop being so dramatic," Ruby sighed. "You can look." Kim turned around slowly, still covering her eyes and peeking out of a hole between her fingers. When she saw they were to of bed and fully dressed, she proceeded to take her hands off her eyes and sigh in relief.

"How did you find me?" Sam asked, walking up to her slowly.

"Oh, God, I wish I didn't," Kim choked. "No, I'm in the hotel room next to you. I may or may not have heard you talk about Lilith and I got suspicious. I thought you were in the panic room."

"Yeah, thanks for that," Sam scoffed, moving away from her and standing back with Ruby.

"Hey!" Kim said defensive. "I wasn't part of that plan. Dean was gonna lock me up in there with you. It's not like I'm the one drinking from a demon," she scoffed. "Oh yeah, thanks for telling Dean I almost killed Lilith. Now he's scared of me and told Bobby, and the cherry on top in that Bobby shot me in the chest!" Kim huffed dramatically.

"He what!?" Sam rushed, looking over to Kim.

"How are you still alive?" Ruby said nervously. "How did you almost kill Lilith?"

"Oh, you didn't tell your pet. I would have thought she was the first person you'd tell," Kim scoffed.

"I-I'm sorry Kim, you scared me. I mean, you almost killed Lilith without any hesitation because you were angry while I had to drink all this demon blood just to match that power," Sam tried to explain.

"Oh, I get it. You didn't want me to take your thunder, you know, cause if Dean figured out that I could kill Lilith you would have no excuse to drink demon blood."

"No, Kim-"

"So you made me look dangerous," Kim breathed in realization.

"No, I was scared because if you did that when you were angry with Lilith, what would you do to us?" he continued.

"So you don't trust me?"

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course not, but I kept your little drinking habit to myself!" Kim spat. The room fell silent as Ruby took a step back from Kim, and Kim saw, adding a smirk to her lips. "Get back to your conversation," Kim huffed. "I want to know."

"Okay, well. Demon Sunday School story. God prefers humans to angels. Lucifer gets jealous and then he gets creative. And he twists and tempts a human soul into the very first demon as a 'screw you' to God. It's what got him locked up in the first place," Ruby continued to explain, looking to Kim cautious every now and hen.

"That was Lilith?" Sam asked.

"She's way older than she looks," Ruby scoffed.

"Wait. So if Lilith is the only one who can break the final seal, if I get to her in time-"

"Then Lucifer never busts out of his cage. Exactly," Ruby encouraged and Kim raised an eyebrow.

"Great. You figure out where she is?"

"The bitch can hide. But I finally have a lead on someone who might be able to help us. I closed in on a member of Lilith's entourage. You might call her a personal chef," Ruby continued as Kim raised an eyebrow at Sam.

"Chef? Seriously? What does she eat?" Sam cringed.

"You don't want to know," Ruby replied solemnly.

"You believe this?" Kim asked, looking at Sam.

"Ruby's never let me down," Sam replied.

"Oh, oh yes she has. Remember when she promised she could stop Dean from going to Hell and he still did? I would call that a letdown," Kim huffed and the room stayed silent. "Well, both of you have let me down so I'm just gonna go. Try not to kill yourself, Sam." Kim got up and towards the door was quickly stopped by a hand grabbing her arm.

"You're not gonna tell Dean what happened, are you?" Sam asked rapidly, quite nervous.

"I don't see why I shouldn't," Kim shrugged ripping her shoulder from his grip.

"Please, Kim," he begged and Kim smirked, looking around Sam to Ruby with a smirk on her face,

"It's cute when he begs, isn't it?" Without waiting for a reply, she exited their hotel room and entered her's, quickly packing her things and moving back to her car. Climbing into her car, she drove down the road with every care in the world seemingly on her shoulders. She didn't look back, and Kim drove until her car ran out of gas.

Kim kept driving as the day ran out and she had a lot of time to think. She couldn't help but feeling increasingly guilty when she thought about Sam, not that she was the one that locked him in the panic room, but she was the one who left him to make the worst decision he would ever make which seemed just as bad.

Her eyes scanned the road as the orange set and the sky turned pink and yellow. The tall trees that dotted around swayed in the light wind and the clouds softly drifted above her head, she decided to pull over. Pulling her car over and stepped out, she felt the twilight wind drift through her hair and across her skin. She breathed in the cool air, sighing satisfied. Leaning on her opened door, she watched the glow from the sun dwindle in its last moments before it was completely gone, and Kim was left in a grey landscape; that was when she decided to turn around.

•※•

Kim had just pulled her car into the car park of the hotel and was walking up to Sam and Ruby's hotel room when she saw Ruby sprint for her life from the room. Kim was just coming up the hall when she saw her escape. Without realising Kim was there, Ruby charged straight for her as she looked over her shoulder to make sure no one was following her. As Ruby ran past, Kim grabbed her arm forcefully. Ruby was shocked by the strong grip that stopped her from running and Kim dragged her back into the hotel room. Kim pulled Ruby into the hotel room as she pushed her way through the door as Ruby struggled.

"Hey Sam looks like your pets tried ran away," Kim yelled as she entered the room and threw Ruby in front of her. Kim quickly silenced her voice when she saw Dean, and she quickly crossed her arms.

"Kim?" Dean asked, surprised. "Don't tell me you let Sam out?" Dean huffed in realisation.

"No, I was in the hotel room next door in the refuge after Bobby shot me," Kim hissed.

"Bobby's sorry about that," Dean replied.

"Yeah, well he's not the only one who's got to apologise," Kim huffed, looking away, keeping her tone soft so that he couldn't hear her. The two of them hadn't realised that Rudy had left as they argued, leaving Sam, Dean and Kim in the room.

"She's poison, Sam," Dean told Sam when he realised Ruby had fled.

"It's not what you think, Dean," Sam explained.

"Look what she did to you. I mean, she up and vanishes weeks at a time, leaves you cracking out for another hit-"

"She was looking for Lilith," Sam reminded harshly.

"That is French for manipulating your ass ten ways from Sunday," Dean huffed and Kim laughed a singular laugh.

"Kim was there, she heard what Ruby said about Lilith," Sam justified, pointing to Kim.

"I also saw you in bed with Ruby. Do you wanna bring me into your argument again?" Kim asked raising an eyebrow, keeping her distance between each brother.

"Again, Sam?" Dean cringed in disgust.

"Just listen for a second. We got a lead on a demon close to Lilith. Come with us, Dean. We'll do this together," Sam smiled, hoping his brother would agree.

"That sounds great. As long as it's you, me and Kim. Demon bitch is a deal breaker. You kiss her goodbye, we can go right now," Dean said clearly. Sam stayed silent for a minute as he looked between Kim and Dean, his lips pressed into a line.

"I can't," Sam breathed. Dean sighed and turned away, nodding. "Dean, I need her to help me kill Lilith. I know you can't wrap your head around it, but maybe one day you'll understand. I'm the only one who can do this, guys," Sam said enthusiastically, hoping everything would just go back to what it was. Dean turned around harshly, angrily.

"No, you're not the one who's gonna do this," Dean said quickly.

"Right, that's right, I forgot. The angels think it's you," Sam scoffed.

"You don't think I can?" Dean sassed.

"No. You can't. You're not strong enough," Sam argued.

"And who the hell are you?" Dean grouched.

"I'm being practical here. I'm doing what needs to be done," Sam argued angrily, his face going red as was Deans.

"Yeah? You're not gonna do a single damn thing. If I'm not gonna do it, Kim will," Dean yelled, pointing to Kim. "She can do more than you can with no demon blood. It was never up to you! We have a better option!" Dean yelled, some drops of saliva springing from his mouth.

"Stop bossing me around, Dean. Look. My whole life, you take the wheel, you call the shots, and I trust you because you are my brother. Now I'm asking you, for once, trust me," Sam begged.

"No. You don't know what you're doing, Sam," Dean argued.

"Yes, I do!"

"Then that's worse," Dean hissed.

"Why? Look, I'm telling you-"

"Because it's not something that you're doing, it's what you are! It means-" Dean cut himself off and looked down. Kim swallowed a lump in her throat.

"What? No. Say it," Sam hissed as tears appeared in his eyes. Kim stayed silent, although she knew that Dean was going to say the wrong thing, she thought it needed to be said.

"It means you're a monster!" Kim inhaled softly. Sam nodded as a tear fall from Dean's eye, but Sam doesn't see it as he turned to punch Dean in the face. Dean was sent down and Kim was no longer standing on the sidelines. It was all fine when words were thrown because it was what hunters grew up with, but punches were only meant for creatures they were hunting.

Kim marched in between Sam and Dean, who was sent down to the floor.

"Okay, that's enough!" Kim yelled between them, but Dean got himself up and charged around Dean and towards Sam, punching him in the face, sending him stumbling. Sam grabbed Dean shirt and brought him stumbling with him. As Sam balanced, her sent repetitive punches to Dean's face, still holding onto his shirt.

Kim sighed as she watched the blood pour down Dean's face and the bruises started to appear on Sam's face. Kim ran up to Dean, who's back was facing Kim as Sam punched him and grabbed his shirt. With one swift motion, she yanked Dean out of Sam's grip and threw him on the floor behind her, but Sam charged straight for him throwing him across the room. Dean kicked Sam in the leg when he approached and Sam fell to the floor. Kim ran over to the boys, yelling for them to stop as he dragged a struggling Sam away from Dean.

Lamps were broken, furniture was destroyed, sheets ruined and objects smashed. Kim had spent the whole fight screaming at them to stop and dragging the two away from each other and sometimes she accidentally got too close, getting a bloody nose and bruised forearm, her shoulder wound started bleeding again. Eventually, Kim had managed to corner Sam, who was dominating the fight and stopped him. Kim stood in front of Sam, a foot shorter than him, in a strong stance.

"Move Kim," Sam seethed, still looking at dean behind Kim.

"No, this is bullshit-"

"My brother thinks I'm a monster!"

"He thinks I'm a monster too!" Kim screamed as a tear fell from his eye.

"Kim, move, or I will move you," Sam warned but Kim wasn't scared.

"Touch me and I will punch you," she said seriously. "Straight in the nose." Sam huffed a sad laugh. Sam sighed and nodded, looking down, wiping a tear from his cheek. Sam looked over Kim's shoulder to Dean who was wobbling on his feet. He was badly beaten up, barely able to stand and bleeding all over.

"You don't know me! You never did! And you never will!" Sam yelled at Dean, pointing at him threateningly. Sam looked down on Kim before walking off and gathering his things.

"You walk out that door, don't you ever come back," Dean warned, barely able to talk. Kim fell silent at his strong tone, just like his father's. Sam stopped on his venture towards the door, looked down and before continuing, without another word. "You going with him?" Dean asked. Kim perched her lips.

"Nah, dare I say I like you more than Ruby," Kim sighed, watching the door slam behind Sam. Kim walked over to Dean and punched him straight in the face. "That was for what you said," Kim huffed, watching Dean stumble to the floor.


	53. Chapter Fifty-One

Kim followed behind Dean as they drove hesitantly back to Bobby's. Her ride was quiet with her window open and the breeze gushing through her car. Kim didn't really want to go back there, especially since her shoulder wound had opened up again and she had half a mind to take the next turn back to nowhere – God knows Dean wouldn't find her –but she wasn't going to be the hunter who let the Winchesters bring on the apocalypse.

She sighed, leaning one arm out the window and keeping her distance behind Dean who was giving her small looks to check up on here every now and again. Kim hadn't noticed his action, she was still persistent on thinking that Dean didn't trust her, nor did he care about her. Although they were in separate cars, they managed to make the car ride awkward for both of them.

When they arrived at Bobby's house, Kim was just as hesitant to return inside as she was to drive there. She slowly exited her car and followed behind Dean as he marched his way back to Bobby. She knew how he was feeling, betrayed, ashamed and the complete and utter wrath he held inside for his brother; she felt it too. But she could only imagine how agonising the ride away from Sam would have been.

Dean walked into Bobby's house, no knocking, no introduction and saw Bobby sitting at his desk in the living room. Dean moved over to the couch and sat on it, staring out the window, not listening to anything Bobby yell at him. After Dean rudely displayed his mood by ignoring everyone around him, brooding out the window and stomping around everywhere, Kim emerged from behind the wall and in the archway of the living room.

Bobby's attention moved from yelling at Dean to the figure that moved in the way of the light. Kim stood there, dried blood on her sleeve from her opened wound, bruises around her forehead and eye from breaking up the fight.

Bobby moved from hunching over Dean to Kim, slowly moving forward. Kim sighed and swallowed a lump in her throat. Bobby's brooding eyes started down Kim as she stood there casually and Kim knew instantly that she was, again, not wanted. Kim huffed once and shook her head at herself.

"Yeah, I'll be going now," Kim said, mostly to Dean but she knew he wasn't listening. He didn't respond as another one of the closest people to him threatened to leave him alone, leaving him with only Bobby.

Kim thought she could do it, ignore the raging hate erupting from Bobby to help Dean stop the apocalypse but he stared her down like pray. As Bobby got closer, Kim became more likely to leave, but with every step, Bobby's brooding features turned back to neutral. Kim was about to turn and leave when Bobby grabbed her arm and blood poured from the wound.

"Let me fix that up for you," Bobby murmured, stopping Kim from leaving. Kim looked at Bobby before looking back at her wound. Her eye drifted to Dean and she sighed.

"No, I'll be out of your way now. It's obvious that I'm not wanted here," Kim said loud enough for Dean to hear. "Plus, I can patch it up myself."

"Then why didn't you?" Bobby asked and Kim pulled her arm out of his grip.

"I was angry and the pain helped," she answered honestly. Bobby smiled slightly and nodded.

"Listen, Kim, he's already lost Sam, he needs you," Bobby whispered to her, moving closer. "I'm sorry for shooting you. Dean said you were dangerous and didn't really say anything else so I panicked. Once he told me what you did after you left I realised the idjit was being dramatic. Not over exaggerating, you are dangerous, just... not to us," Bobby explained as Kim listened. Kim huffed a smiled and Bobby handed her a bottle of Jack. "He was gonna look for you but he knew it was no use, and with both Sam and you gone, we knew we had a better chance of finding Sam."

Kim nodded, taking a sip from the bottle and sitting on the couch as Bobby gathered the first aid equipment. He sat next to her and she felt the couch tilt under his weight as he prepared her wound. Bobby snatched the bottle out of her hand and rolled his eyes.

"The bottle's not for you to drink," he huffed, pouring some on her wounds. She winced as he started to stick her up and shifted her gaze over to Dean, who was still brooding as he stared outside. Bobby started firmly explaining to the boy what he should do next after Kim told him what happened but it didn't seem like he was listening to any of it.

"Dean? Dean! You listen to a word I said?" Bobby said loudly, gathering Dean's attention. Dean nodded his head as Bobby bit off the end of the thread he used to stitch Kim.

"Yeah, I heard you. I'm not calling him," Dean grumbled as Bobby began to pack up quickly as Kim put her sleeve back down.

"Don't make me get my gun, boy," he said roughly, his thick accent growling out. Dean turned to them forcefully, his eyebrows furrowing.

"We are damn near kickoff for Armageddon, don't you think we got bigger fish at the moment?" Dean growled. "I got Kim back, she can help me. I don't need anyone else."

"I know you're pissed and I'm not making apologies for what he's done, but he's your-"

"Blood? He's my blood, is that what you were gonna say?" Dean interrupted.

"He's your brother. And he's drowning," Bobby growled.

"Bobby, I tried to help him, I did," he scoffed. "Look what happened."

"Dean, you sold your soul for that man, are you gonna give up now?" Kim argued.

"Yes, Kim! He's ungrateful and stubborn. I've tried to help him," he huffed angrily, a growl erupting as he yelled.

"So try again," Bobby argued.

"It's too late."

"There's no such thing."

"No, damnit! No. I gotta face the facts. Sam never wanted part of this family! He hated this life growing up! Ran away to Stanford first chance he got. Now it's like déjà vu all over again," he growled, and Kim suddenly realised that Sam's departure was more than saving the world and helping him, it was trying to fix what happened in the past, but it just ended up happening again. "Well, I am sick and tired of chasing him. Screw him, he can do what he wants."

"You don't mean that," Bobby said miserably.

"Yes, I do. Sam's gone, he's gone! I'm not even sure if he's still my brother anymore. If he ever was," Dean huffed and Kim stared at Dean, she had never seen him like this before and she was threatening to lose hope as Dean had, but Bobby stood up angrily and swept the first aid kit off the couch. The noise caught the attention of Dean and Kim quickly as they registered his raging eyes and he advanced on Dean, who had stood up.

"You stupid, stupid son of a bitch! Well, boo hoo, I am so sorry your feelings are hurt, princess!" Dean sat there in shock listening to him fume. "Are you under the impression that family's supposed to make you feel good?! Make you an apple pie, maybe? They're supposed to make you miserable! That's why they're family!" Bobby yelled, his face shaking with rage.

"I told him, 'you walk out that door, don't come back' and he walked out anyway! That was his choice!" Dean argued.

"You sound like a whiny brat. No, you sound like your dad. Well, let me tell you something. Your dad was a coward," Bobby spat. His face scrunched up in rage and aggression, a seriously furious tone she had never heard from Bobby before. it was intimidating and raw, the fiery passion spitting through his voice. Kim sat back in shock, his words harming Kim as much as it did Dean.

"My dad was a lot of things, Bobby, but a coward?" Dean scoffed.

"He'd rather push Sam away than reach out to him. Well, that don't strike me as brave. You are a better man than your daddy ever was. So you do both of us a favor. Don't be him," Bobby sighed and left the room, leaving Kim and Dean by themselves. It was awkward for a moment, but Kim got up from her spot and walked over to Dean, whose hopelessness was affecting her own. She sat by him, his eye moved to her.

They sat at opposite ends of the couch, the distance a prominent existence in the room. Kim rubbed her eyes with her hand before sighing.

"Dean, the world is ending. We're two seals away from the apocalypse. I'd tell you to pull your head out of your ass but Bobby already tried that and you're still moping," Kim huffed with a smirk. "You know I'm not good at this so just bear with me here. All I'm trying to say is that Sam will always be your little brother, no matter what. As a younger sibling, I can assure you that you have no idea how much we look up to our older siblings." Dean smiled sadly as he looked up at her.

"Thanks, Kim."

"I mean, what you said was wrong and he has a right to be mad at you-"

"Way to kill the mood-"

"But he, somewhere deep down, he knows you're right." Kim sighed and looked down. "I know my sister was right. She always was."

Their conversation hung in the air as the silence rung through the room. Kim sighed and closed her eyes, waiting for someone to speak and ruin the overtaking quiet. Kim ran her hand through her ponytail. Suddenly, she felt a shift in the air. It was oddly still and the silence had only got louder. Kim opened her eyes when she saw her scenery had completely changed and she was no longer in Bobby's house, but someplace pure and white. Antic white and gold wallpaper lined the walls and a beautiful chandelier hung from the ceiling and a marble table sat in the middle of the room, and it smelt of the most amazing, sweet nectar she had ever smelt.

Kim was overwhelmed with a sense of virginal cleanliness. Everything about the room reminded her of a pure home she never had. It was homely and she felt welcomed which only made her fear for her life more than she would care to admit.

Across the other side of the room, she saw Dean stand there just as confused as she was; just as overwhelmed by the pureness of the room as her. There, beside the table, stood a familiar trench coat wearing angel.

"It's almost time," the angle warned. Dean and Kim both furrowed her eyebrows, looking around the room, turning away from the angel. Kim turned to look behind her, a white and gold wall trapping her inside. A small, marble statue in the corner. Kim turned back to the table in awe of the room, to find that Dean's end of the table had a platter of burgers on it, a large, silver bowl filled with ice and beer in the middle and on Kim's side was a platter of the most fluffy, circular, syrupy pancakes she had ever seen; Kim couldn't stop her mouth from watering.

Dean looks to Kim from the other end of the room and goes in for a beer, picking one up and looking at it.

"Hello, Dean," a new voice alarmed. "You're looking fit." Kim turned to the source of the voice and saw a tall, plump and balding man standing there in a suit and a sneaky smirk on his lips.

"You know him, Dean?" Kim asked and she moved from her side of the table over to his, eyeing the pancakes cautiously as she moved.

"Yeah, this is Zachariah. Another angel," Dean explained, pointing lazily at the man.

"Great, another angel," Kim huffed, causing some eyebrows to raise. Dean placed the beer back in the bowl.

"Well, how 'bout this? 'The suite life of Zach and Cas." Dean saw their blank expressions and knew they didn't understand his reference. "It's a... never mind. So, what is this? Where the hell are we?"

"Call it a Greenroom. We're closing in on the grand finale, here. We want to keep you safe before showtime," Zach explained as his smirk only grew and Kim soon realised it was a permanent feature for this angel to express how confident that he is always three steps ahead of you. "Try a burger. They're your favorite. From that seaside shack in Delaware. You were 11, I think."

"I'm not hungry."

"What about you, Kim? Just like you're sisters. I got her to make them for you," Zach smirked and Kim swallowed her saliva. She desperately wanted to have one. Every morning she wakes up in a scratchy motel bed, she had an instant craving. Kim licked her lips and shook her head, the aroma torturing her.

"No, I'm good," she replied. Zach smirked.

"She said you can have one," he admitted and Kim's head instantly shot to Zach in awe and nostalgia.

"She did?" Kim awed like a small child. A childlike twinkle woke in her eyes as she gleamed at him in utter surprise. Her eyes dwindled from him to the pancakes, the image of her sister perfectly fresh in her mind. The mere image of her in her flannel, surrounded by an angelic light made Kim smile sweetly, but the image was soon replaced with the image of her on the last day she saw her. The disappointment she held in her eyes as she stared at Kim, the image of her walking out of that motel door, never to return. The smile vanished from Kim's lips and she tore her eyes away from the perfect pancakes, the aroma still taunting her. "I, no, I'm good."

"No? What about Mr Gatsby? Just like in the novel," Zach tempted and it was hard to refuse, but Kim did.

"No, I said I'm good."

"Dean, how about Ginger from season 2 of 'Gilligan's Island'? You do have a thing for her, don't you?" Zach continued.

"Tempting. Weird," Dean huffed.

"We'll throw in Mary Ann for free," he smirked and Dean shook his head.

"No, no. Let's... bail on the holodeck, okay? I want to know what the game plan is," Dean asked, referring to the seals. There was only a few left and they had trapped them in a room full of temptation.

"Let us worry about that. We want you... focused, relaxed," Zach said, only talking to Dean. Kim furrowed her eyebrows as she took another step closer to Dean.

"Well, I'm about to be pissed and leaving, so start talking," Dean argued and Zach huffed.

"All the seals have fallen. Except one," Zach admitted, his head hung. "Lilith has to break it. She's the only one who can. Tomorrow night - midnight."

"That's what Ruby told Sam," Kim nodded and Dean sent a sharp look to Dean.

"You didn't tell me?" Dean huffed angrily.

"I was a bit busy making sure Sam didn't bash your face in," Kim growled back. Dean rolled his eyes.

"I can handle him." Kim scoffed. "Where?"

"We're working on it," Zach said rather casually and Dean and Kim scoffed.

"Well, work harder," Dean growled.

"We'll do our job. You just make sure you do yours," Zach assured, stepping closer to Dean, eyeing him carefully.

"Can you do your job a bit faster?" Kim asked sassily.

"All in good time," he nodded.

"Isn't now a good time?" Dean asked quickly.

"Have faith," Zach continued and Kim rolled her eyes the hardest she ever had.

"Faith can shove it," Kim scoffed.

"Give me one good reason why I should," Dean sassed, crossing his arms.

"Because you swore your obedience. So obey," Zach spat, getting up in his face. Kim turned to Dean who was looking at a guilty looking Cas.

"What does he mean? You swore to what?" Kim asked Dean quickly, ignoring the smell of the pancakes behind her. Dean looked down sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. His silence alarmed Kim and she regretted ever leaving him alone for so long.

"I swore obedience to God if I would be the one to stop the apocalypse instead of Sam, instead of you," he breathed, looking up at her. Kim sighed and looked at him; she blamed herself. Kim looked over to Cas who was looking guiltier than before when she felt a presence behind her and a hand on her shoulder.

"You, Kim, have a different importance."

Kim turned around and was met with Zachariah, tall and overpowering, looking down on her. Quickly, he put two fingers to her forehead and she felt every muscle in her body get weak and heavy. The last thing she head was Dean screaming for her before she fell into blackness.

•※•

Kim woke in a different room. All pure and homely features had disappeared, and she no longer felt welcome. The room was grey and dark, windowless room that was smaller than the Green room. A single, dull light hung above her as she sat in a secure seat, strapped tightly. Kim's eye's opened slowly and she loosely tugged on the leather straps around her wrist, ankle and neck. A band was over her forehead that buckled her head to the chair. Her hands were covered by metal clasps and she couldn't move her fingers. It was almost as if she was paralysed.

Kim looked around the room, straining her eyes since she couldn't twist her neck. She saw that the grey room was covered in every single different type of symbol she had ever seen and more. A demon's trap circled the chair she was strapped in.

Kim struggled against all the claps, but it was impossible to get out of. She groaned and pulled and tugged, but it was useless. She felt blood drip from her neck from the buckle scratching her skin when she struggled. She was completely trapped. Instantly, Zach appeared in the room as if she smelt her blood and came running.

"You bleed," he said interested. "So you're not an angel." Zach nodded and turned behind him and suddenly a table full of different tools. They were clean, silver and shimmering, but not less intimidating. Kim swallowed a lump in her throat as he pulled out a lovely decorated, silver vile the size of Kim's hand and walked towards her.

Zach looked down on Kim mercilessly and disregard her struggles and groans of pain. He threw the liquid in the vile in her face and Kim spat out the water that found it's way into her mouth.

"Not a demon," he said to himself and Kim itched to wipe the holy water off her face.

"I could have told you that," she spat, trying to shake the water off her face, but her neck and forehead were restrained.

"Quiet anathema," Zach spat and Kim was a bit taken back.

"You literally offered me, Jay Gatsby, like, five minutes ago," Kim scoffed. "Why the change in heart?" Zach rolled her eyes.

"I don't need to explain myself to some abomination," he scoffed, moving back to the table and gathering his next tool. "What I can say is what I know about you, and I must admit, I am learning as you are, which is rather painful." Kim rolled her eyes.

"I know you are not an angel or a demon and no other creature is powerful enough to do such things as you. A nephalem would excrete grace as would an angel, no matter the class and if you were a demon you would burn under the touch of holy water."

"Never say 'excrete' again," Kim cringed and Zach rolled his eyes.

"He's asking for you," Zach smirked, ignoring her comment. "Dean asking Castiel where you are."

"Do you find our pain amusing?" Kim asked sassily.

"Rather," he smirked. "You are dangerous to our mission and such power you hold should never be in such a pathetic human," Zach continued to insult her and Kim just scoffed. Zach turned to her, a scary looking tool in her hand. "You see, our mission isn't to keep Lucifer in Hell. It's to get him out," Zach smirked moving closer with the tool. He took his fat finger and wiped up the drop of blood from her neck and licked his finger.

"You taste like a human, too," Zach continued and Kim cringed in disgust. "Which is troubling because you are hard to track, but, lucky for us, we knew you would never be too far from Dean; and we always have sight of Dean," Zach smirked and held up the tool he held. "So you were never really out of our sights."

The tool was long and sharp, like a stake that glistened in the dim light. Kim kept her mouth shut as she stared at the tool in anger. She knew he was going to use it, he was a ruthless and cruel angel who had no problem inflicting pain if it was for his pleasure.

With one slick motion, the stake was struck right through Kim's chest. She was instantly winded, she couldn't breathe. She sucked in a breath, but it as impossible for her to release it. She couldn't scream, breath, talk, cry. The pain was fiery hot and instant, the pain was continuous and merciless, just like Zach.

"And you can't die," he nodded pursing his lips. Kim sucked in a breath of pain and held it in her chest until it stung. It boiled and breathed in her chest until it was impossible to hold, she let out a piercing scream that was boomed through the room. The pitch was impossibly high that Zachariah was forced to cover his ears. The light above her started to swing from the force and the blight bulb burst. Electricity sparks flew from the light and rained down on them.

Kim's throat started to sting and she started to taste blood as the noise reverberate. It was loud and continuous and Kim continued until she physically couldn't. Her scream faded as Kim fell exhausted, the noise still ringing around the room.

As the noise faded and Zach pulled his hands off his ears, he looked to her with awe.

"He heard you," Zach breathed. Kim panted, wanting to respond, wanting to ask questions, but she was too weak. "Dean heard you from heaven." Kim drooled, unable to wipe away the saliva or the strength to stop drooling.

Hours had passed and the torture was getting worse with every new torture device until she could barely breathe anymore. Blood had pooled on the floor and she had become numb. Kim was unable to hold up her head, but the latch that held her forehead to the chair stopped her head from slumping. Zach smirked at his work but was frustrated that he couldn't find any weakness that he could use to stop her. Nothing he used on her had a permanent effect or was harmful enough to kill her, the only reason she was so weak was because he had repeatedly tortured her before leaving the room for Kim to continue to bleed.

Her eyes were about to close when she felt a hand on her bleeding shoulder. She closed her eyes, waiting for the impact to hit but it didn't hurt. It was soft and apologetic. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw Castiel standing above her untying the straps. Kim fell into Castiel embrace as he picked her up and flew back to the Greenroom. Kim was too weak to stand by herself and she had gashes on every surface of her body. Metal pieces stuck out of her and blood pooled wherever she went. Quickly and hurriedly, Castiel passed the limp body of Kim to Dean's arms, who looked down on her worried.

Castiel stuck his fingers in Kim's blood an drew a sigil.

"Castiel! Would you mind explaining just what the hell you're doing?" Zachariah's voice boomed through the room. Cas looked up at him and instantly slammed his hand on the symbol, sending him far away in a violent flash on white light. Dean tore his eyes of Kim for a second to check he was gone before moving back to her, concerned and angry. Dean picked her up bridal style and let her limp body dangling in his strong arms.

"He won't be gone long. We have to find Sam now," Cas said quickly.

"Where is he?" Dean asked.

"I don't know. But I know who does. We have to stop him, Dean, from killing Lilith," Cas warmed quickly as Dean furrowed his eyebrows. Kim listened silently and weakly from her position.

"But Lilith's gonna break the final seal," Dean said, confused.

"Lilith is the final seal. She dies-" Cas said.

"-the end begins," Kim finished. Kim looked up and tried to get herself out of Dean's arms, but he held her close to his chest.

"I can fix her, Dean," Cas said, placing two fingers on her forehead. Instantly, all the heavyweight of Kim's muscles released from her body and she pulled herself out of Dean's arms. She felt wide awake afresh. She had only felt as energised one time in her life, and it was when she woke up in that hospital bed after a week of torture. Kim felt up and down her body, searching for any scratches or wounds, but everything was gone. She was just standing in a pile of blood from a nonexistent wound. Kim smiled ghostly at Cast, who just nodded in response.

•※•

"St. Mary's? What is that, a convent?" Dean asked Chuck. Cas had flown them to the prophet Chuck to discover where Sam would be to stop him from finishing the final seal.

"Yeah, but you guys aren't supposed to be there. You're not in this story," Chuck explained as he looked to Kim softly. Kim looked down and rubbed the back of her neck, not looking at him. His house was just as messy as before, maybe even more. Chuck looked just as ruffled as before with his dirty clothes and drink in hand.

"Yeah, well..." Cas glanced to Dean, "We're making it up as we go." Dean nodded and did Kim at his words and Chuck slightly shook his head. Suddenly, Chucks computed started to flicker with static and great rumbles began to shake the room, accompanied by a blinding white light.

"Aw, man! Not again! No!" Chuck screamed in annoyance as books and papers started to fall from their shelves and his desk making his messy room even messier. Castiel looked to Kim and Dean, his look more sinister than before.

"I'll hold him off! I'll hold them all off! Just stop Sam!" Without a second for either of them to reply, Cas put two fingers on both of their foreheads, transporting them away. There was a rush of wind and a slight thump as they landed. The noise and bright light had disappeared from their site as they squinted their eyes shut.

Kim tried to swallow a lump in her throat, but her mouth was so dry that it was impossible. Kim looked over to Dean as they gathered their balance from the transportation, the Adrenalin and rush still running through them.

They look around quickly as they were in a rush, they were standing in the middle of a hall in St. Mary's. Huge stain glass windows plastered to one side of the wall looked out on the street and they saw people walk around completely oblivious to the fact that only meters away from them, Lucifer was threatening to rise.

"You have my knife?" Kim asked quickly, knowing she left it at Bobby's when she was in a rush to leave. Dean frantically pulled it out of his waistband and held it out to Kim. Kim nodded once and quickly grabbed it and hid it in her waistband. "Great, let go."

The two of them sprinted down the hall in a manic rush to try and find the door Sam and Ruby were behind. The two of them skidded as they turned the corners at such speed, almost flying themselves into the stone wall. They ran as fast as they could, their body pushing themselves to their limit. They were in a such a panic to find the room they weren't even thinking about the pain for sprinting so fast. Skidding across a corner and pushing themselves off the wall, they were lead to a door with a flashing light underneath it and a rushing noise erupting from it. Kim reached for the handle but it was forced shut.

"Sam?!" Dean shouted for Sam. The noise got louder and they started to recognise some voices in the mess of sound.

"Sam!" Kim shouted with Dean.

"Dean? Kim?" Sam replied, but it was a mess to hear. Rapidly, Dean threw a small marble statue off of a stone podium and picked it up. Dean rammed the podium into the wood door. Kim helped by grabbing the end and adding force, but the door wouldn't budge. They applied as much pressure as they physically could on the door, but it was forced shut with powers Dean couldn't match.

Kim let go of the podium and took a step back. The noises behind the door only got louder and a scream from a girl erupted from the other side. Sam was breaking the last seal. Kim forced her arm out and concentrated, her eyes squinting as she focused all her energy to the door. Dean dropped the podium and watched as the door quaked under Kim's pressure. The podium smashed into pieces as another piercing scream erupted from the room.

Kim could feel her brain throbbing in her head as she focused, her eyes painfully focused on the door. Kim used all the power she had to open the door and Kim felt blood pour from her eyes as the door handle fell off. Kim pushed her arm forward and screamed painfully, causing the two doors to swing wide open and the stained glass windows behind her to shatter.

Kim dropped her arm and charged in, panting from exhaustion. Dean followed her as they saw the dead vessel of Lilith lying on the floor, blood spreading from her. Kim's eyes moved from Lilith's motionless body to Ruby, who had a massive smirk on her face. Ruby stepped forward to confront Kim, who was standing closes to her.

"You're too late," Ruby smiled enthusiastically. Dean looked up from Ruby to a very penitential looking Sam who had his head hung. Without another word, Kim marched forward, her face filled with such anger and rage it scared Ruby just by looking at her. With a wicked swing, Kim punched Ruby in the face, leaving her with instant bruises and wounds. Sam, who was behind Ruby, grabbed her arms and held them behind her back, locking her in a motionless position.

Whipping out her blade, Kim sent a fierce strike into Ruby's stomach. Kim watched, bloodshot eyes and blood dried on her face with a smirk on her lips as Ruby screamed in pain. Kim left the knife in Ruby for a second to make sure Ruby's gaze met her when she twisted it. Ruby flashed orange and Kim could see the pain she felt as she eyes wilted under Kim's knife.

"This," Kim breathed in satisfaction, "is for my dad." Kim twisted the knife even further into Ruby and felt a wave of satisfaction fall over her as she heard Ruby's last breath be ripped out of her by an awful scream. Sam let go of her and Kim watched with a happiness she had felt in a long time as her body dropped to the floor, lifeless.

Kim took a step back and panted, finally feeling the weight of her muscles and how sore she had become. Dean and Kim looked up at Sam, who looked down on them.

"I'm sorry," Sam panted brokenly. Neither of them responded. They could see Sam regretted everything he had ever done and now was not the time to make him feel worse. Without a word, the three of them looked to Lilith's body and the blood that poured out of her. Her blood swirled into a circle, creating a sinister pattern on the floor. As the end of the trail of blood touched the other end, a brilliant, white light, bright than any of the others shone from the circle. The room started to tremble and Dean grabbed Kim's jacket, who was standing next to him.

"We gotta go," Dean pulled Kim towards the door, but her feet were plastered as was Sam's. "He's coming." It was hard to move as Dean tugged both of them towards the exit with all his might. He gripped their shirts and jackets, dragging them away from the erupting circle of blood, but even if they ran, they wouldn't make it far.

Anything they felt before was utterly shattered with fear as light emerged from the centre of the circle, shining at them, and all they could do was stare.

 _Lay your weary head to rest,_


	54. Chapter Fifty-Two

It was quick. It was rapid. It was instant. Kim felt the air shift around her again like it did when Zachariah took her to the torture room and when Castiel sent her to St. Mary's church. It was a rush of wind around her as she shut her eyes, she felt it push past her and she knew she was in a different area from the place where she closed her eyes. Slowly, they opened and she was blinded by a light emerging from the trees.

It was then Kim realised she was on the floor. She felt shrubs brush against her cheek and bark from the ground stab into her skin. The air was chilly and when Kim opened her eyes, she was met with a thin layer of fog. Weakly, Kim pushed herself off the floor, a piece of forest sticking to her cheek as she rose. Kim rubbed her eyes and looked around, expecting to see Sam and Dean beside her, but they weren't. She was completely alone.

The forest was mist and quiet, only a small rush of wind could be heard for miles around. Kim squinted her eyes to try and get a better view of the area, and she turned to see she was beside a small body of water.

Stepping towards it, she heard the crunch of the forest underneath her. She looked as if she was miles away from any civilisation. Rubbing her sore head, she walked lazing towards the water, reaching down to touch it. It was cold and refreshing in her skin. The water looked crystal clear and clean enough to drink, so Kim scooped up a handful of water and brought it to her lips, taking a sip of much-needed water. Kim hadn't realised how dehydrated she was until her lips touched water for the first time in a few days. She had been so caught up in what was going on around her, the apocalypse, the angels and Sam and Dean, the thought of self-care never once entered her mind. Her stomach was yearning for nourishment and she desperately needed a shower, but when she had the resources it never occurred to her to use them.

Kim wiped her face with her wet hand to refresh herself and force herself awake, drying herself with her top. When she looked down to the water, she saw her reflection and she barely recognised herself. Her hair was matted severely and all the fat and colour was missing from her cheeks. If it wasn't for her mobility she would look dead, but she couldn't worry about that now. Lucifer has risen and Sam and Dean were missing, she had bigger things to worry about.

Kim scratched the back of her neck before quickly looking for her knife and sighed when she found it securely in her waistband. Looking down on the water she saw a quick shine of the pin that was fastened to her jacket before looking up, she could only look at herself for so long and she started walking away. She was alone with no resources in a mysterious forest which she had no idea how she got there.

Kim started to walk, not sure where or in which direction and hoped that she could eventually hit a town that hadn't been too destroyed by Lucifer yet. Kim marched and marched, with caution and care, making sure not avoid any sign of Lucifer or any creature as a matter of fact. She marched until her legs hurt and the trees got smaller and the silence became deafening until the forest mist disappeared and she was on the skirts of a small town. Kim looked around and saw that she was thankfully still in America, and the city only a few miles away looked completely intact.

Kim jogged as fast as she could to the city and walked into the closest diner she could find. People, ordinary people, sat at their booths with their family and friends, talking. The diner was running smoothly and nothing was broken or smashed. Kim stood at the door of the diner before slowly taking a few steps in, walking cautiously up to the counter.

Only hours ago she had seen Lucifer rise from Hell, she refused to believe she was standing in some ordinary diner with oblivious civilians. Kim cautiously leaned on the counter and waited for the waiter to come to her. When he saw her, he smiled and walked over to her.

"Hi, how can I help you?" he asked politely, Kim smiled for a nervous second before answering.

"Uh, hi, christo," she whispered, looking into his eyes for a reaction. When she saw the boy's eyes stay the small brown colour, she coughed awkwardly and dismissed what just happened. "Can I have a glass of water, please. And is it possible for me to be able to use your phone?"

The boy looked at her oddly before seeing how sceptical and anxious she looked and how malnourished she was. The boys smiled once before retrieving the glass of water for her.

"I'll get you that phone," he said cautiously. "Are you okay, miss?" Kim looked up at him and smiled.

"Yeah, I'm fine." The boy nodded in disbelief but he didn't argue. Kim watched as he walked away. She nodded to herself, sitting on the stool beside her, fiddling with her fingers as she waited. She looked up sharply as a figure appeared in front of her and she saw the boy place a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon in front of her.

"Oh the house," he said with a smile before handing her the phone. She smiled ghostly at the boy before taking the phone gently out of his hands.

"Thanks," she said before quickly dialling Dean's number and putting the phone to her ear. As it rang, Kim looked at the eggs and bacon before hesitantly taking a piece of bacon and taking a small bite. Just as she tore a piece off the strip, he answered the phone.

"Who is this and why do you have this number?" a familiar voice asked and Kim sighed in relief, glad that he was still alive.

"Dean, it's Kim. Is Sam with you?" she asked, hoping he was just as okay as Dean.

"Kim? Uh, yeah, he's here. Where are you?" he asked quickly. Kim huffed a nervous laugh.

"I have no idea. I woke up on the forest floor after a flash of light and walked 'till I found a town. What about you? Are you okay?" Kim asked, dropping the bacon back on the plate and forgetting about it.

"We're as good as we can be at the moment. We woke up on a plane and went to Chuck's house. Cas's gone Kim, and Zach up our ass about my obedience to God," Dean sighed, Kim could tell he was flustered. "I just need you right now, okay? Where are you? We'll come and get you," Dean said and Kim nodded, a bit speechless.

"Uh, yeah... I'm-" Kim pulled the phone away from her ear and caught the attention of the busy waiter boys. "Can you tell me where I am?" she asked kindly. The boy squinted his eyes.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked again and Kim nodded.

"I really need to know where I am," Kim continued and the boy nodded.

"Yeah, you're in Deadwood, South Dakota," he said and Kim nodded.

"Deadwood, South Dakota," Kim said to Dean.

"Okay, we'll be there in an hour or so. We're coming," he said before hanging up. Kim nodded, although she knew he couldn't see it and hung up after he did. She sat on the stool and stared at the food beneath her nose and wondered if she deserved it.

Slowly, Kim picked up the fork next to her and fiddled with the eggs before picking up some and placing it in her mouth. It had been a while since she had eaten a proper meal. The eggs were warm and creamy and suddenly the hesitance and questioning if she deserved it was forgotten and she started to eat. No matter how much she believed she didn't deserve every bite that she had, her body refused to stop until she was full.

It didn't take long for Kim to feel full, and she hadn't even finished the plate of food, leaving half of the scrambled eggs and bacon on her plate. Getting up from her seat, she thanked the boy who helped her and exited the diner. As she waited for Sam and Dean, she decided that it would be best if she found a nearby motel and take a shower, there was nothing else for her to do.

Walking around, she realised this place looked very western and country. She took in the old western buildings until she found a small motel. Kim walked in and ordered a room for as short of time possible and prayed that she had enough cash on her to pay for it.

"Half an hour," the girl behind the register said and Kim nodded.

"All I need." Kim paid for the half hour and took the key to her motel room. Walking down the halls decorated in old western decor, she found her room, also decorated with the old western decor.

Kim ran her hand through her hair and untied it, letting her knotted hair fall over her shoulders. Undressing, she walked over to the bathroom and prayed the shower released hot water. Turning on the water, she felt the water trickled down her arm as she checked the temperature. Slowly, she felt the water gradually get warmer and warmer until it was mildly scolding, just how she liked it.

Kim used the motel's complimentary shampoo and conditioner to wash her hair. Using a fistful of shampoo, she lathered her hair up, slightly pulling the knots apart with her fingers. She watched as the dirty shampoo dripped down her body. Kim rinsed her hair and saw all the dirt escape her hair with the shampoo.

With another fistful of conditioner, she massaged that into her hair, feeling it sooth her hair and scalp. Using her fingers, she brushed her hair to the best of her abilities, taking out all the massive knots and rinsing out the conditioner. She felt her smooth hair and smiled softly. Running her fingers through her hair, she washed out the rest of the conditioner.

Cleaning off the dirt and scum from her body, she stepped out of the shower and got dressed in the only clothes she had. Using a towel to dry her hair, she heard a knock on the door. Taking the knife out of her waistband, she held it up, suddenly aware of everything around her.

Opening the door ajar slowly, Kim looked around the curve of the door and saw Dean and Sam standing behind the door. Kim opened the door fully to be greeted with a brooding Dean and an apologetic Sam. Kim smiled slightly, glad to see that they were okay and scratched the back of her neck.

"Let's go," she said, stepping outside and closing the door behind her. Kim looked down before meeting the gaze of Sam's. He looked so broken, his eyes sunken and his head hung. Guilt was written all over that poor boy. Kim looked between them as they walked towards their rental car. As they walked, Sam tossed Kim a small bag tied with string.

"It's a hex bag, should hide us from angels and demons," Sam said, not looking up at her. Kim caught it with one hand and examined it quickly before shoving it in her pocket.

"Thanks," she said blankly. She was glad he was alive an well, but every time she looked at him, she not only saw betrayal but the man who refused to listen, the man who helped Lucifer rise.

The three of them hopped into the car and Dean started to drive away, heading towards a motel room the boys were staying in before. It was silent for a while, awkwardness settled between Kim and Sam once again.

"We went to see Chuck," Dean said, ignoring the tension in the car. "Cas' gone, Kim. Chuck said he blew up. Zachariah's harassing me about the whole obedience to God. He wanted to know where you were, too. We gotta keep these hex bags close. They're coming for us." Kim nodded, feeling the hex bag in her pocket.

Dean looked down the road as the silence developed the car again, Kim played with the necklaces around her neck. She looked up when she felt a gaze on her, accidentally meeting Sam's gaze in the mirror. Sam looked away instantly and Kim looked down soon after.

"I'm sorry, Kim," Sam breathed. "I- I should have listened to you," he continued and Kim looked up at him with a face empty of sympathy.

"Yes," Kim said quickly and harshly, "you should have. You didn't care when you heard what Ruby did to my father. Why should I care about what she did to you?" she spat. It came out meaner than intended, but she didn't regret anything she said. Sam looked away, ashamed and Kim swallowed a lump in her throat as she was about to try something new. "But she is manipulative and you're forgiven."

Kim looked up to see Sam's small smile on his hung head and she nodded once. The rest of the car ride was silent.

•※•

Dean drove to the motel room they were staying at and the three of them sat, doing their own separate research. Sam sat at the table with John's journal under his nose, researching. Kim sat at the opposite end of the table, reading a different book, researching as well. Dean sat on the couch, watching the TV and Kim and Sam wondered how he could be so casual when hours ago, they witnessed Lucifer rise.

The motel room was simple, as most were. The run-of-the-mill motel with the smell of mould and an infestation. Kim ran her hand through her still damp hair as she read, but she couldn't really concentrate. She was so distracted by what had happened and what was going on around her. She wondered why she woke up in a completely different area from Sam and Dean, what their next move was, how they were going to find Lucifer let alone kill him. She was so occupied with her own thoughts she didn't even realise there was a knock on the door until she saw Sam and Dean head towards it, Dean welding a shotgun.

Sam opened the door slightly and looked out to see a young, blond lady standing behind the door very enthusiastically. Sam stood there, furrowed eyebrows and confused as he looked down on the girl who had the worlds biggest smile on her face and had some trouble breathing.

"You okay, lady?" Sam asked the girl as Kim stood behind him.

"Sam...is it really you?" the girl asked and Sam quickly looked back at Kim and Dean. The creepy girl took a step closer and put her small hand on Sam's chest. "And you're so firm." Sam looked down on her and cringed slightly, Kim trying to hold in a laugh behind him.

"Uh, do I know you?" The girl pulled back, looking up into Sam's eyes innocently and Sam continued to stare, bewildered.

"No. But I know you. You're Sam Winchester. You're-" the girl looked behind Sam to Kim. "Kim Harper and you are-" she looked to Dean, "-not what I pictured. I'm Becky." Becky pushed past Sam and into the motel room. "I read all about you guys. And I've even written a few-" she looked down slightly and giggled, causing Kim to slightly cringe. "Anyway, Mr Edlund told me where you were."

"Chuck?" Dean asked, moving closer and Sam closed the door behind Becky after entered the room

"He's got a message, but he's being watched. Angels. A nice change-up to the mythology, by the way. The demon stuff was getting kind of old," she said as easily as it would be to flip a page.

"Right," Kim scoffed.

"Just, um...what's the message?" Sam asked awkwardly.

"He had a vision. 'The Michael sword is on earth. The angels lost it'," she said casually.

"The Michael sword?" Dean asked, looking to Kim who normally had the information they needed on angels. Kim looked to Dean and shrugged.

"Becky, does he know where it is?" Sam asked quickly, looking down on her. Beck looked up at him and through for a second.

"In a castle, on a hill made of forty-two dogs."

"Forty-two dogs?" Dean asked.

"Are... you sure you got that right?" Sam asked sceptically.

"It doesn't make sense, but that's what he said," she said stepping closer to Sam and releasing a smile. "I memorised every word." She touched his chest. "For you." Sam smiled awkwardly as Becky caressed his chest. Kim and Dean stood in the background trying to hold in their gags and laughter. Sam looked to them for help but they just shrugged his gaze away.

"Um, Becky, c-uh, can you...quit touching me?" Sam asked awkwardly.

"No," she replied blankly, not looking up at him as she stared at his chest.

•※•

Hours passed and Becky had left and Bobby arrived. They let him into the motel room after a hug and a small interrogation.

"You weren't followed, were you?"

"You mean by angels, demons, or Sam's new superfan?" Bobby grouched with a smile, causing Sam to laugh.

"You heard?"

"I heard, Romeo. So... the sword of Michael, huh?" Bobby asked.

"Yup," Kim nodded. "I've been researching and I've discovered that it might not be an actual sword... I mean, I have no idea what else it would be but it might not physically be a sword," Kim said, looking up from her laptop. Bobby took a seat next to Kim and gave her a look before opening a book he brought with him. He flipped to a page with a painting of Michael surrounded by other angels. In this picture, Michael looked like a winged man and the other angels like naked babies with wings.

"That's Michael. Toughest son of a bitch they got," Bobby said, pointing to Michael. Sam flipped to another page in Bobby's book to find another picture of Michael. Just like the pictures in all the museum and the last picture, he was feminine and poetic.

"You kidding me? Tough? That guy looks like Cate Blanchett," Dean scoffed.

"Yeah, well, in the days those pictures were painted, being feminine with a small penis meant you were rich and powerful," Kim added. "He commands the heavenly host."

"During the last big dust-up upstairs, he's the one who booted Lucifer's ass to the basement. Did it with that sword," Bobby continued and pointed to the sword in Michael's hand. "So if we can find it..."

"We can kick the devil's ass all over again. All right. So, where do we start?" Sam said enthusiastically.

"Divvy up and start reading. Try and make sense of Chuck's nonsense," Bobby suggested. Kim looked back to her laptop and continued her research while Sam went to the pile of books on the desk Bobby brought.

Bobby looked to his book while Kim stared at her laptop, reading when Bobby looked up at Sam, who was staring at a book for a moment.

"Kid? You all right?" Bobby asked, causing Kim to stop reading and look up from her laptop. Sam turned to face Bobby, his expression riddled with guilt.

"No, actually. Bobby, this is all my fault. I'm sorry," Sam replied guiltily, looking down with a remorseful expression.

"Sam..." Dean warned.

"Lilith did not break the final seal. Lilith was the final seal," Sam continued and Kim looked to Sam.

"Sam, stop it," she warned, just as Dean did.

"I killed her, and I set Lucifer free," Sam admitted, looking down. Sam hung his head in shame, Kim had never seen someone look so pitifully depressed. Bobby stood up from the desk and looked down on Sam with an expression devoured by fury.

"You what?" Bobby spat.

"You guys warned me about Ruby, the demon blood, but I didn't listen. I brought this on," Sam continued. Kim looked to Dean who stood, leaning against the wall with his arm crossed, not saying a word.

"Sam, that's enough," Kim said again.

"You're damn right you didn't listen. You were reckless and selfish and arrogant," Bobby spat, moving closer to Sam.

"I'm sorry," Sam whispered shamefully.

"Oh, yeah? You're sorry you started Armageddon? This kind of thing don't get forgiven, boy!" Bobby grouched with his thick accent a low tone. He marched up to Sam, staring him dead in the eye. "If, by some miracle, we pull this off...I want you to lose my number. You understand me?" Sam looked to Bobby with slightly watery eyes and nodded.

"There's an old church nearby. Maybe I'll go read some of the lore books there," Sam choked out.

"Yeah," Bobby nodded. "You do that." Sam nodded awkwardly and looked to Dean, who stood there staring down on his younger brother. Sam turned to leave as Kim's eyes flickered between Dean and Sam. She waited for Dean to say something, to stand up for him but she watched as he stayed purposefully silent. Kim sighed in disappointment and shut her laptop, scooping it up from the table and held it under her arm.

"Wait a minute, Sam," Kim said sorrowfully, "I'm coming." Kim walked over to Sam, gliding past Dean and Bobby towards Sam. Kim moved in front of Sam and headed out the door first, Sam following behind here.

They started to walk in the direction of the church, Kim marching ahead of Sam but it didn't take long for him to reach her with a few steps of his long, lanky legs. He looked down on her as she walked but she ignored his presence beside her and stared straight ahead, her laptop under her arm.

When they entered the church, they found the books and started researching, sitting across from each other. Kim sat, nose into her book as she researched, not looking up once. Her eyes were angry and brooding as she stared at the page. She could feel Sam looking up from his page to glace at her every now and then, just to look at her guiltily.

Kim could feel him staring at her, and eventually, it became irritating. Closing the book with a small slam, she caught Sam's attention after he just looked away from her. She stared at him for a second before raising her shoulder's to ask what his problem was.

"What?" Kim asked harshly. "You keep looking at me." Sam sighed and fiddled with his page.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry... again," he muttered.

"Yeah, I said I forgive you," Kim continued rudely, looking back to her page and flipping it impatiently.

"I know, but I don't really think you meant it," he admitted.

"Sam, listen, if I said I forgive you, I forgive you. Got it?" Sam didn't believe her, not even for a second. Her tone was laced with lies and aggregation. He sighed, looking back to his book, knowing he wasn't in the position to argue.

"Then why are you angry?" he asked softly, still looking down.

"I'm angry at you brother," Kim huffed, looking at her page before slightly punching it. "I'm angry the world's ending and I'm gonna die before I figure out what the hell I am, or more likely, I don't die when the world eventually comes to an end," she replied angrily, not looking up at him. "I'm just angry."

Sam looked down to his book and sighed.

"There's nothing here, we should leave." Kim scoffed and pushed her book away, standing up. Why was she surprised that she didn't get any sympathy out of him? She thought he would be the one to understand.

Walking back to the motel room, they didn't speak a word. It was silent until the heard some weird noises coming out of the motel room. Sam looked at Kim weirdly before grabbing the doorknob and opening the door. As they scanned the room, they instantly saw Bobby laying on the floor, bleeding with the demon knife if his stomach, a pool of blood surrounding his body. Dean was across the other side of the room, getting beaten by some demon.

"No!" Sam yelled as he entered the room, sudden in surprise.

"Heya, Sammy. You miss me? 'Cause I sure missed you," the demon girl smirked in a wickedly familiar way.

"Meg?" Sam asked, squinting at her. Instantly, Sam swung and missed. Meg kicked Sam, in the crotch and knocked him to the ground.

"It's not so easy without those super-special demon powers, huh, Sammy?" Meg smirked as she continued to beat him. Kim stared at her and scowled.

"Yeah, well, looks like you haven't heard about me then," Kim hissed before throwing her arm out to exorcise the demon. Dean saw the distraction and ripped the blade out of Bobby's stomach and stabbed the demon that was hitting him. Meg watched as the demon died and took her opportunity to flee, leaving the vessel she was possessing and exiting; all eyes shot to Bobby.

•※•

Sam, Dean and Kim burst into the hospital emergency room, carrying Bobby. Dean held Bobby as they ran, blood pouring from his stomach. Kim had tried her best to patch it up on the car ride, but Dean was driving as fast she could barely concentrate on the wounded area. She wrapped it in bandages and applied as much pressure as she could during the car ride, but the ride was bumpy and unpleasant in a rush to get Bobby to the emergency room.

"Need some help here!" Dean yelled, bursting into the room full of patients.

"What happened?" a nurse asked, running up to them.

"He was stabbed," Sam replied as two nurses rush over to gather Bobby.

"Hang on, Bobby. Hang in there. You're gonna be okay," Dean rushed to tell Bobby as he was whisked away into a room to be treated and the three of them follow but a nurse stopped them from entering. Panic and rush laced in her eyes as she warned them that they weren't allowed to enter.

"Just wait here," the nurse calmed.

"We're not leaving him," Kim reinforced.

"Just don't move. I've got questions." The nurse left, leavening a distressed Sam. Dean and Kim in the waiting room, panting and anxious.

"Guys, we got to go," Dean said quickly.

"No. No way, Dean," Sam spat.

"The demons heard where the sword is. We got to get to it before they do if we're not too late already. Come on!" Without another word, Dean left, heading for the door. Sam looked down at Kim, to see what she was doing. Kim rolled her eyes at Dean and jogged after him, Sam following.


	55. Chapter Fifty-Three

The room was littered with dirt and the smell of must and dust which tickled their nose as they marched in with their shotguns ready. The room was dim and unpleasant, the specks of dust visible as they floated across the light. They were ready to fight, expecting demons to swarm them as they entered.

They had made it to the place they suspected Micheal's sword to be, but it was surprisingly easy to find and enter. They had expected waves of demons ready to attack at their attempt to enter but Dean simply kicked the door in off the small storage room and entered. They charged in, guns up and aimed to find dead demons sprawled across the floor, Zachariah standing above them, his evil smirk across his lips.

"I see you told the demons where the sword is," he said, looking at Sam, Dean and Kim, his arms behind his back. Two angels were escorting Zach as he stood in the dim light, casting his dim shadow. "And to think...they could have grabbed it any time they wanted." With a simple wave of his hand, the door behind them closed. "It was right in front of them."

Kim felt the rush of the wind against her back as the door slammed shut behind her. She looked over her shoulder at the locked door, her expression bordering one similar to fear at the sight of Zachariah. "What do you mean?" Sam asked, looking around suspiciously.

"We may have planted that particular piece of prophecy inside Chuck's skull, but it happened to be true. We did lose the Michael sword. We truly couldn't find it. Until now. You've just hand-delivered it to us," Zach smirked, looking down on the three of them.

"We don't have anything," Dean scoffed and Zach rolled his eyes.

"It's you, Chucklehead. You're the Michael sword," Zach announced and they let his words linger in the air for a moment. Dean and the other two stared at Zach. They let his words bounce around the room as they tied to make sense of the situation. It was impossible to comprehend, not only because it was an important piece of information, but also because they had no idea what it meant.

"What, you thought you could actually kill Lucifer? You simpering wad of insecurity and self-loathing?" he scoffed, smirking evilly. "No. You're just a human, Dean. And not much of one."

"What do you mean, I'm the sword?" Dean asked, furrowing his eyebrows. The room was filled with anticipation as the weight of his question filled the room. Zachariah's smile turned wickedly powering.

"You're Michael's weapon. Or, rather, his... receptacle," Zach continued.

"What?" Dean asked again, even louder.

"Dean, you're Michael's vessel," Kim breathed in astonishment, her voice merely a whisper.

"I'm a vessel?" Dean asked, looking up.

"You're the vessel. Michael's vessel," Zach confirmed.

"How? Why-why me?" Dean stammered out.

"Because you're chosen! It's a great honor, Dean."

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, life as an angel condom. That's real fun. I think I'll pass, thanks," Dean scoffed, his voice low and sassy. Kim watched as the angles scoffed at Dean's attitude, taking it as a joke. Another piece of dust flew past the dim light.

"Joking. Always joking. Well...no more jokes," he smiled powerfully. Zach slowly raised his hand, fingers like a gun, and aimed at Dean before slowly shifting his aim towards Sam. They watched his seemingly meaningless movements as he adjusted his aim. "Bang."

A loud crash sounded through the room that was impossible to ignore as Sam fell to the floor, writhing in pain. He clutched his leg in desperate need of release of pain. He took a deep breath in, winded.

"God!" Sam yelled.

"You son of a bitch!" Dean spat, looking for his brother to Zach.

"Keep mouthing off, I'll break more than his legs. I am completely and utterly through screwing around. The war has begun. We don't have our general. That's bad. Now, Michael is going to take his vessel and lead the final charge against the adversary. You understand me?" Zach said forcefully, his tone lathered with such force and severity.

"And how many humans die because of this. Millions," Kim argued, looking down on Sam, not sure how to help him. Another piece of dust circled her, her eyes glided across the room with it.

"Probably more. If Lucifer goes unchecked, you know how many die? All of them. He'll roast the planet alive," Zach warned, his voice seething.

"There's a reason you're telling me this instead of just nabbing me. You need my consent. Michael needs my say-so to ride around in my skin," Dean smirked, feeling the shift of power.

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Well, there's got to be another way," Dean announced.

"There is no other way. There must be a battle. Michael must defeat the serpent. It is written," Zach continued, his tone getting angrier and deeper with rage.

"Yeah, maybe. But, on the other hand... Eat me," Dean smirked, looking rather pleased with his actions.

"Okay. How about this? Your friend Bobby- we know he's gravely injured. Say yes, and we'll heal him. Say no, he'll never walk again." Sam and Kim glance to Dean, but they both know what he was going to say.

"No."

"Then how about we heal you from...stage-four stomach cancer?" Dean doubled over, clutching his stomach, couching. Blood spews out of his mouth as he groans in agonising pain.

"No," he manages to say as blood poured out of his mouth. Kim looked down on them, not sure what to do.

"How about we take Kim back then?" With a small twirl of his writs, Kim was by his side, arms and legs bound by her side. "I was nowhere near finished with her when she escaped," Zach smirked, looking at Dean, waiting for his answer. Dean looked up at Kim. She was bounded tight, unable to move and hard to breathe. He saw all the torture she had been through in her eyes as they stared down on him. She slowly shook her head. She was ready for whatever he had coming.

"No."

"You're going to say 'yes', Dean." Kim watched as the dust flew around the air, and how with every breath Kim took the dust tickled her nose. With her hands bound, she had no way of itching her nose. The dust danced and irritated her skin, and Kim's head slowly leaned back before shooting forward, a mighty sneeze erupting from her nose.

Kim looked up, her eyes watery from the sneeze and nose still incredibly itchy.

"Okay Dean, I've had enough. Say 'yes' so I can scratch my nose," Kim growled out as she wiggled her nose, trying her best to itch it. There was a silence as Kim wiggled, her eyes crossed to her nose. When she heard no response, she looked up to find Sam and Dean staring at her.

"What? I was joking, calm down," she scoffed, still trying to scratch her nose as the boys groaned on the floor.

"Behind you, Kim," Sam breathed, still clutching his leg. Kim furrowed her eyebrows and twisted her neck as much as she could to see what was behind her, and to her surprise, she saw Zachariah's two soldiers lying lifeless on the floor, ashes of angels wings shadowed their corpses.

"Did I do that?" Kim asked, looking back to the brothers, her eyes wide in disbelief.

"Yes..." Zach breathed in awe. "Yes, you did." In an instant, Zach vanished with fear for his life, leaving Sam, Dean and Kim as they were.

In an instant, just as Zachariah vanished, another appeared. A wave of relief crashed down on them, like a cool drink of water as they stared at the newly arrived in his blue tie and cream trench coat. Castiel was instant and rushed, afraid his arrival was too late to save the three, but he was just in time to whisk them away from this horrible room full of allergies and dust.

"Hello," he replied in his deep voice and angelic. The three of them stared at Castiel as he looked between them. With a click of his fingers, all was put right. Dean was no longer riddled with cancer and Sam's legs were back to normal. The room had lifter of its tension as Kim's body loosened and she began to move again, her first action began to itch her nose.

"I thought you said he was dead?" Kim whispered to Dean as she moved over to him, staring at Castiel suspiciously.

"He was," he answered, not bothering to lower his voice knowing that the celestial being would be able to hear him either way.

"You three need to be more careful."

"You think?" Kim huffed, rubbing her sore wrists that were burnt from the rope.

"Your frat brothers are bigger dicks than I thought," Dean added.

"I don't mean the angels. Lucifer is circling his vessel. And once he takes it, those hex bags won't be enough to protect you," Castiel warned. Carefully, Cas put his palms on Sam and Dean's chest and with an unusual force being sent through them, they gasped painfully.

"What the hell was that?" Dean growled.

"An Enochian sigil. It'll hide you from every angel in creation, including Lucifer. I engraved it into your ribs," Castiel explained, looking between the two brothers. Dean looked to Cas and then to Kim.

"Do you mind warding Kim?" Dean asked, not really sure if it was even a question he should ask. Castiel looked to Dean, his messy hair covered a short part of his forehead. His brooding eyes stared into Dean's and without looking at Kim, he answered.

"She is already warded. Whatever she is, makes it impossible for angels and demons to track her," Castiel continued, still not looking to Kim.

"Then how do the angels and demons know where she is? She's been kidnapped two times," Dean scoffed.

"The angles know that where Dean is, you follow. You have never been tracked by any celestial being," Castiel continued. "Kim's current actions have forced panic among the angels and their first move will be to remove her." Kim looked to Dean, his words of warning setting off a great alarm in them.

"What do you mean 'remove'?" Dean asked.

"Either to capture her and test her or remove her from existence, but they have no way of killing her," Cas continued. "But now that the brothers are untraceable, there is no need to take such precautions."

There was a silence as his words lingered in the air. Kim no longer felt comfortable and she hated feeling venerable.

"Hey, Cas, were you really dead?" Sam asked, breaking the silence.

"Yes."

"Then how are you back?" Without an answer, Castiel vanished, leaving the three of them in the room riddled with two angel corpses.

•※•

Kim sat outside Bobby's hospital room as Sam and Dean waited inside for his results. She sat with her legs spread, leaning forwards with her head down, her hair falling over her face. The hallway was quiet and smelt of medicine, an eerie sensation fell over her as she sat alone. Waiting in an unknown hospitals hallway, where the sun dwindled through the window just enough to light half the path, she felt the anticipation of Bobby's results dwindle on her. She knew she wasn't as close to Bobby as the brothers were, but he had helped her more time than she could count and he was still important to her as she was to him; not that they would admit. She didn't believe she was close enough to him to share this experience with the Winchesters. They were his boys, she was their tag along. It didn't seem fit for her to worry as much as Sam and Dean, but she was.

She listened as the silent hallway voiced the noise of clicking heels. She listened as they sounded intimidatingly down the hall towards her as if they were going to tell her the results themselves. The nurse walked straight to Kim and turned beside her, into Bobby's room and she couldn't help but lean closer to the door to listen to what she was saying.

Kim leaned closer, her face plastered with cautious curiosity but she didn't need to lean in o hear Bobby's booming voice erupt.

"'Unlikely to walk again'?! Why you snot-nosed son of a bitch! Wait till I get out of this bed!" Bobby's voice boomed, causing Kim to retract her head away from the door. The nurse fled from the room, the receding noise of her footsteps no longer intimidating as she hurried away. "I'll use my game leg and kick your friggin' ass! Yeah, you better run!" Kim stood up slowly as the nurse turned the corner leaving the hallway empty again. Kim slowly walked into the room, peeking in first to see the boys over Bobby in his bed.

Bobby looked up at Kim as she entered, walking to his end without an ounce on sympathy in her expression, she knew he would order her to rid of it if he saw it anyway. "You believe that yahoo?" he asked Kim as she entered, knowing she heard everything.

"He's just a nurse, what does he know?" Kim scoffed seriously, walking to sit by the chair beside Bobby's bed. With the anxious tension developing into furious anger, Kim felt more comfortable in the room. Once the news is received by the family, others are allowed to enter and express their condolences, except condolences were not to be shared or Bobby would lose his shit.

"So, let me ask the million-dollar question. What do we do now?" Sam asked, skipping the sympathy.

"Well... We save as many as we can for as long as we can, I guess. It's bad. Whoever wins, Heaven or Hell, we're boned," Bobby scoffed, losing hope as he lost his legs.

"What if we win?" Dean asked seriously, and all three of them turned to him, eyebrows raised. "I'm serious."

"I know you are, that's the scary part," Kim added.

"I mean, screw the angels and the demons and their crap apocalypse. Hell, they want to fight a war, they can find their own planet. This one's ours, and I say they get the hell off it. We take 'em all on. We kill the devil. Hell, we even kill Michael if we have to. But we do it our own damn selves," Dean growled, his confidence showing in his tone.

"And how are we supposed to do all this, genius?" Bobby scoffed.

"Well, we have Kim," Dean added.

"What? Do you just want me to sneeze Lucifer to death? I'm an unreliable source," Kim grouched back.

"You can learn to control your powers, right?" Dean asked and Kim raised an eyebrow.

"Out of all the years you've known me, have I ever killed anything because I wanted to. No, it was because I was afraid or angry," Kim reminded, her tone getting more forcefully.

"Or sneezy," Sam added.

"Am I missing something here?" Bobby asked from the bed, looking between the three of them. "Sneeze Lucifer to death?" There was a silence as the boys waited for Kim to explain to Bobby what happened.

"I- I may have sneezed and killed two angels on accident," Kim huffed not trying to make a big deal about it.

"You what?!" Bobby yelled, staring at Kim.

"I know," Kim sighed at herself. "I don't want to talk about it if you don't mind," Kim added, looking down. The room fell silent as Kim and the brothers waited for Bobby to say something, and she said something Kim feared.

"Do you mind stepping outside, Kim? I need to talk to the boys." Kim looked up, her expression rough and hard, but she felt a mixture of hurt and betrayal in her as she took her steps outside the door and sat down in the seat she was once in. Leaning in, she listened to what they were talking about.

"She sneezed and killed two angels?" she heard Bobby ask, just to clarify. The boys didn't answer and let the room fall to silence.

"We're not getting rid of her, Bobby. She's our friend and frankly, our only hope," Dean said rather angrily.

"No, you Idjit, she's getting stronger. When Lucifer rose, you two were taken to a plane, right?" Bobby confirmed and the boys nodded. "Well, she was in South Dakota. Whoever put you there separated you for a reason. She's dangerous and someone was warning you about it," Bobby replied and Kim pulled away, listening to Bobby.

What if he was right? What if she was just slowing them down? They were set on a path from birth, Dean was always Michael's vessel and Sam was destined to raise Lucifer, she was just another mistake the Winchesters made; or that she clung onto the closest thing to had to her lost mentor. Kim sat, her head hung low as she listened to Bobby and couldn't help but believe every word he said and wondered if she should do everyone a favour and leave. She's dangerous, unpredictable and a monster; she was sure that if the brothers didn't know her, they would be hunting her.

She listened to the silence.

"I was awake. I know what I said back there. I just want you to know that...that was the demon talking. I ain't cutting you out, boy. Not ever," Bobby said to Sam as he was about to leave. There was a silence as Sam sighed.

"Thanks, Bobby."

"You're welcome. I deserve a damn medal for this, but... you're welcome." There was another silence as Kim heard Sam and Dean's footsteps come towards her and she lent away from the door and back in her normal position until she felt two shadows cover her. Looking up, she was met with Sam and Dean looking down on her.

"You heard all of that, didn't you?" Dean asked, looking at her. Kim huffed and laugh, trying to cover the hurt she felt.

"How could you tell?" she asked with a sarcastic smile on her lips, standing up.

"I can see the regret in your eyes," he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. A small smile crept on her face.

"Don't worry, no angel's gonna make us leave you," Sam reassured and Kim felt a warm sensation in her chest like she just took a shot straight whisky. She was never really into anything soppy and neither were the brothers, but they knew when she needed some reassurance.

The three of them walked into the parking lot as an ambulance drove past them as they walk to the Impala.

"You know, I was thinking, Dean- maybe we could go after the Colt," Sam suggested as they walked.

"Wait, like the Colt-Colt?" Kim asked. "Do you think it would work?" Kim asked.

"Well, we could use it on Lucifer. I mean, you just said back there-" Dean stopped in the middle of the parking lot, listening to his brother's preposterous ideas.

"No, Sammy. I mean, I'll fight. I'll fight till the last man, but lets at least be honest. I mean, we don't stand a snowball's chance, and you know that. I mean, hell, you of all people know that," Dean scoffed.

"Kim is - no offence - unreliable-" Sam said.

"Non taken."

"She's our best chance. What are we gonna do? Shoot Lucifer?" Dean moved around Sam but stopped when Sam called his name.

"Dean..." Sam could tell Dean was tense and on edge, his actions, his tone; Kim noticed too. "Is there something you want to say to me?" There was a long pause. A long pause that caused angst and worry to settle between them. It was the kind of silence that confirmed all of your worries, and Sam swallowed a lump in his throat.

"I tried, Sammy. I mean, I really tried. But I just can't keep pretending that everything's all right. Because it's not. And it's never going to be," Dean said, his voice deepening. "You chose a demon over your friend and own brother-" Sam rolled his eyes. "-and look what happened."

"I would give anything-anything-to take it all back," Sam spat hastily.

"I know you would. And I know how sorry you are. I do. But, man...you were the one that I depended on. And you let me down in ways that I can't even..." Dean stopped, struggling with his words. "I'm just-I'm having a hard time forgiving and forgetting here. You know?" Sam looked at his older brother and the genuine disappointment he held for him. It was a punishment just to that in his eyes, that even though he tried his best, Sam was always the disappointment.

"What can I do?" Sam asked quickly.

"Honestly? Nothing," Dean shrugged. Sam nodded looking don, not surprised. "I just don't... I don't think that we can ever be what we were. You know?" Kim stood behind Sam as they spoke She listened to the saturation of anger and disappointment in Dean's voice, seeing the water in his eyes threaten to spill, she could only imagine the pain Sam was feeling at the moment.

"I just don't think I can trust you."

Sam's head shot up from it hung position. He wasn't expecting the heaviness of the words to escape Dean's lips. His older brother had lost all hope in him, it hurt to breathe. Dean shook his head and walked to the driver's seat of the Impala.

"Kim's in the front."

Dean slid into the driver's seat without another word, letting everything they just said hang in the air outside as Sam and Kim stood there. Kim stepped to be beside Sam as he quickly wiped away a rolling tear.

"We'll get through this." With that, Kim walked to the front seat of the Impala and sat in the front. The seat wasn't as comfortable as the back, where she had imprinted herself, just as Sam had with the front, but Sam didn't enter the car. He stood outside and stared at it for a long while before turning away.

Kim looked to Dean who was staring at his brother from the rearview mirror and watching him turn his back, and with a simple nod, they had mutually agreed that a separation for the moment would be what's best. Dean turned on the Impala and reversed, not looking back to see where his brother went or where he was going to go with what money, and sped off down the road leaving Sam in the dust.

•※•

Three months have passed.

Dean and Sam haven't spoken since that day. Kim had been with Dean since then, leaving to do some separate solo hunts and personal training; which was about as useful as shooting a vampire. She was getting nowhere with her ability and she was still as clueless as to what she was as she was three years ago when it started.

She would spend her free time trying to focus on her ability and how to use it, but it was hopeless. She put too much pressure on herself because she knew the whole future existence of the world was on her shoulder and she was feeling the weight. She wasn't satisfied with anything but perfection, but she couldn't even lift a book.

Instead of starting small, she would walk to any open land that was around her and attempt the most daring thing she could think of. She killed two angels with a sneeze, how hard would it be to rip a grown tree form it roots. She started off too strong and was crushed with self-loathing when she didn't have the strength to fulfil what her imagination convinced her she could do.

Walking back to whatever motel she was staying at, at the time, she would sit in her room and stare at a book from across the room for hours. Her mind would start to throb and her eyes would sting whenever she looked around the room as her vision blurred. All these human side effects were tampering with her abilities; she believed. She refused to consider the fact that she just couldn't control what was inside her. Whatever she had was just too strong for her.

Unknown to Dean, Kim had kept in contact with Sam. He had tried to contact Dean but he was too stubborn to pick up the phone, so he prayed that Kim had meant what she said when she told him that he was forgiven and she would pick up when she rang. Sam was relieved to hear her voice when she answered for the first time.

Kim had told Sam about the new occurrences around herself and Dean had encountered on their hunts, like one of the Four Horsemen; War. Lucifer had risen and he was bringing his strongest army with him. Kim cautioned Sam to stay safe, she knew he was smart and tough, but she never really trusted anyone without her being there. She was more of a 'see it to believe it' kind of girl. So she warmed Sam of the trouble that Lucifer had brought with him, but Sam had some news of his own.

"You're what?!" Kim yelled into the phone as she talked to Sam. She heard him hushing her from the other line but her astonishment overtook her sense of ration.

"Shh, Dean will hear you," Sam hushed and Kim scoffed.

"What? So Lucifer came to you in a dream dressed as your ex-girlfriend to tell you- You're not planning on telling Dean you're-"

"Not yet," Sam interrupted and Kim rolled her eyes.

"Sam, it's quarter past four in the morning. Dean and I just drove sixteen hours straight to get to Kansas city for God knows what and I haven't eaten or slept in a long time. If you called me up to tell me you're Lucifer's vessel and don't plan on doing the same for Dean, I will drag your ass here and shoot you in the foot," Kim whispered angrily, ending in a yawn. Sam stayed silent for a moment before responding.

"So you want me to tell Dean because it will be an inconvenient time for him now, not because it's world-changing news?" Sam asked, slightly amused.

"Yes," she yawned, "and all of that important stuff. I'm getting him." Without waiting for a response, she got out of her bed and threw the phone at Dean, landing on his stomach. Dean jostled away, startled. He looked frantically at the phone on his stomach before turning to the wearily Kim standing above him. "It's Sam. Talk to him."

"Kim-"

"Ah! Now," she warned before falling into her bed. Kim was not a morning person, that was when she got the chance to sleep. She listened as Sam and Dean spoke and eventually Dean got up and walked to the fridge, causing some light to flash into Kim's eyes. She knew the second she woke up that she wasn't going back to sleep, so she closed her eyes and listened to Dean.

He had walked to the kitchen to grab himself a beer, his eyes drifting over to Kim every now and then. Kim knew that Sam wanted in again, he told her himself and she never had a problem with it, it was the fact that if he came back, Dean would leave.

Dean spoke softly, not to wake Kim who he believed had fallen back asleep the second her head hit the pillow, but she was wide awake, very aware of what was going on around her. She listened to their conversation.

"We're not stronger when we're together, Sam," Dean said into the phone. "I think we're weaker. Because whatever we have between us- love, family, whatever it is- they are always gonna use it against us. And you know that. Yeah, we're better off apart." There was a silence. "Believe me, if I don't think Kim was our only option, I wouldn't be with her right now. Whatever took us to the plane didn't want us with Kim. I want to protect her too but... she's gonna help us, I know it." Kim listened, not sure what to think.

"We got a better chance of dodging Lucifer and Michael and this whole damn thing if we just go our own ways. Goodbye Sam." He hung up.

Kim made sure she looked asleep as he walked over to her and sat on her bed. His body cast a faint shadow over her face from where he sat. She felt the bed dip as he put his weight next to her and she could hear his soft breaths. She was positive he thought she was asleep, so she didn't move a muscle. A gentle touch caressed her shoulder with a gentle squeeze and she could feel his eyes gazing at her. It was such a comfortable feeling, having him beside her as she 'slept'; not something she thought she would feel around him in a hundred years.

He let out a sight. "We can do this."

•※•

Kim woke up hours later, the weight from her had gone and she no longer felt Dean's comfortable presence with her. In fact, it had competently vanished. The room she was in stood cold and uncomfortable. Kim raised her head, her hair falling over her face and over her eyes. Squinting at the light that shone through the uncovered window, she looked around the room. Dean wasn't there.

She listened for the shower, maybe he was in the bathroom. She heard nothing. She moved to the bathroom door an knocked on the door, hoping for a reply.

"Dean?" she asked, but there was no response. Maybe he had gone on a food run, but he would always ask her what she wanted to eat.

Maybe he left her. Just like Sam did. She heard what he said last night. He was safer without her. Kim swallowed a lump in her throat. With every second that passed, she began to believe what she was saying.

He had left her.

Her anger started to boil furiously, her jaw clenched in anger as did her fists. Heat rose within her as she marched around the motel room lividly. She roared in anger. What a hypocrite! She was overcome with loathing hatred and anger that her first instinct was to smash what was in front of her. With a wicked swing, she threw the lamp across the room.

"You fucker!" she belched. She watched, unsatisfied as the lamp shattered against her wrath. Her vision began to twitch and blur and her anger just continued. She let out a worldly scream and she shut her eyes.

She panted, a breeze brushing against her. A familiar comfort settled over her. She opened her eyes to see a beautiful green garden, her breathing slowly settled. The garden was fantastically grown. A beautiful creation made with such delicate hands and love. Flowers bloomed and burst with bright colours to welcome whoever entered the garden.

"Welcome, Kim," an oddly familiar voice said. It was strange to hear. She had heard the voice a million times, but something was very different this time. It was dark and dynamic, nothing she had ever heard before. Kim turned to the voice. It was Sam.

His hair was shiny and well maintained. He was dressed in an all-white suit and his posture was impeccable. His eyes were scary as the looked down on her, nothing like Sam's at all and a smirk graced his lips. Kim's mouth fell open in shock and she felt a hand grasp her arm. She flinched her head in that direction to see Dean holding her arm, softly pulling her in the opposite direction.

"Is that Lucifer?" Kim asked Dean, whose eyes haven't left Sam.

"Sure is," he replied, also looking at Lucifer.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"2014." Kim's head snapped to Dean.

"What?"

"We're in the future, Kim," Dean replied. Kim didn't reply, getting a smirk out of Lucifer.

"See you in five years, Dean." Thunder and lightning clap through the garden; Lucifer is gone. Kim looked to Dean, who was still holding her arm when he felt a grasp on the back of her head. A rush of air brushed her and the lights changed. Blinking, she adjusted her eyes to the light as she lent of something in front of her.

A mouldy kitchen bench.

Kim looked up at Dean who was staring at someone in front of him. Kim followed his gaze to see Zachariah smirking down on both of them.

"Oh, well, if it isn't the ghost of Christmas screw you," Dean spat as he panted.

"I have one job, and that is to make sure the battle between the brothers go smoothly. Do you know what are the only people in my way? You two! So enough. Dean, enough. You saw it, right? You saw what happens. You're the only person who can prove the devil wrong. Just say yes," Zach continued, a smirk on his lips, sure he was going to get exactly what he wanted. Kim looked to Dean.

"What happened?" Kim asked Dean quickly. She knew Lucifer had taken over Sam, but what else had she missed.

"Oh, you weren't there for that part, were you, Kim," Zach smirked, looking down on her. "Why don't you tell her, Dean?" Dean sighed and looked at Kim, who was waiting for an answer. She couldn't imagine much worse than Lucifer possessing Sam.

"The Croatoin virus took over the world and everyone was dying. You- you didn't make it," Dean choked out. Kim stared at him, her face straight with content. "How do I know that this whole thing isn't one of your tricks? Huh? Some angel hocus-pocus?"

"The time for tricks is over. Give yourself to Michael. Say yes and we can strike. Before Lucifer gets to Sam. Before billions die." Dean considered this for a long moment, turning away from Zachariah.

"Nah," Dean rolled out, shaking his head, lips perched.

"'Nah'? You telling me you haven't learned your lesson?" Zach question angrily.

"Oh, I've learned a lesson, all right. Just not the one you wanted to teach," Dean smirked, crossing his arms as he watched Zachariah get angrier and angrier.

"Well, if I can't fix one problem, I'll fix the other." His gaze fixed to Kim and he grouched. "You are an abomination-" In an instant, they were gone.

Kim felt a comfortable gush of wind fly past her and she smiled at the familiar face in front of looked around, their setting far different from where they once were, where the cold air of the night circled them and there was no one in sight Dean looked to Kim, his eyes wide as he looked at her. "Did you do that?" he asked.

"What the hell is going on with me?" Kim gasped as she looked at her hands, her heart racing in the cold. All worry and panic from seconds ago had vanished at the touch of Castiel.

"Cas, you're here. That's pretty nice timing," Dean said, regarding the avoidance of Zachariah's wrath.

"We had an appointment," Cas reminded, causing both of them to smile. Dean put a hand on Castiel's shoulder, a slight smile on his lips.

"Don't ever change," he told Castiel.

"How did you get here? I saw you with Zachariah but before i could get there, I sensed you missing," Cas explained as all eyes turned to Kim.

"You can blame Kim for that," Dean sighed.

"How did Zachariah find you?" Cas asked.

"Long story. Let's just stay away from Jehovah's Witnesses from now on, okay?" Dean said, pulling out his phone.

"Jehovah Witnesses? I never talked to any of them," Kim informed, raising an eyebrow.

"They followed me so they found you," Dean informed and Kim looked down.

"When did Dean talk to any Jehovah Witnesses?" There was a silence as Dean pulled out his phone. She looked to Castiel who was staring at her intently.

"You are more powerful than you can imagine, Kim," he said out of nowhere. Kim raised an eyebrow.

"So I've been told," she scoffed.

"Yet you still don't seem to understand. Be careful, Kim. The word about you had gotten further than it should and you're new time travel scheme will no take long to be heard. Everyone is afraid of you. Everyone is after you," Castiel warned before vanishing without a word.

•※•

Kim and Dean waited in the cold wind as the water rushed underneath the bride they were on. Kim smelt the fresh air and sighed. Everyone was after her.

A car pulled up next to the Impala's pulling Kim out of her thoughts. Sam stepped out, looking down, he couldn't bring himself to look at them as he wandered over. Dean sighed and looked at Sam and Kim walked up to him and gently pet his arm to comfort him. She needed something to take her mind off what Castiel had said and comforting Sam seemed like a nice distraction.

"Look, man, I'm sorry. I don't know. I'm... whatever I need to be. But I was, uh-wrong," Dean said, starting off the conversation.

"What made you change your mind?" Sam asked.

"Long story. The point is... maybe we are each other's Achilles heel. Maybe they'll find a way to use us against each other, I don't know. I just know we're all we've got. More than that. We keep each other human."

"Thank you. Really. Thank you. I won't let you down," Sam smiled, looking at his brother with a smile no one had seen for a while.

"Oh, I know it. I mean, you are the second-best hunter on the planet. No offence, Kim," Dean said, a smile on his lips. The cool air rushed past Kim's shoulder and she smirked.

"None taken. I know I'm the first," she smirked.

"So, what do we do now?" Sam asked, the smile slowly leaving his lips as his mind restored itself back into reality. Dean looked to Kim, his eyes scanned her whole face unashamed. A soft sigh left his lips.

"We make our own future." The words left his lips like words from the Bible. They spoke of certainty and truth, so saturated in confidence that there was no way you couldn't believe him. Kim smiled and nodded. That sentence touched the three of them personally. Sam nodded.

"Guess we have no choice."


	56. Chapter Fifty-Four

In the past couple of months, things had changed dramatically. Simple hunts were hard to find and everything became ten times more stressful and secretive. Dean had become possessively protective over Kim after he heard what Castiel had said to her and avoided anything that even remotely involved any religion. Dean had Kim sitting out on hunts, keeping away from him just in case angels or demons had found a way to track him. It had become ridiculous to the point where Kim would have to sneak out to go for a food run or even a jog up the street.

She rolled her eyes every time he warned her about the dangers outside as if she had never seen the sunlight before let alone killed two angles with a simple sneeze. It was becoming infuriatingly irritating and Kim was finished with his rubbish. He was acting as if she was a fragile girl again, not like her twenty-second birthday had come and gone. She had finally got them and the hunting world to respect her as a hunter instead of some helpless girl who stumbled upon a gun and shot a few creatures, and she wasn't about to let all that work go to waste because some monsters were after her; aren't they always?

The next hunt they went on, Kim refused to stay behind and she was glad she did. They were confronted by a child who made what he believed in come true. Castiel had informed them of a child who looked too innocent to be destructive and introduced him as the Antichrist. A half demon half human abomination names Jesse that was too powerful and too scary for anyone to understand, just like herself. Castiel informed them that they should kill the child before Lucifer got his hand on him, he was much easier to obtain and find than Kim; but of course, they refused.

Sam, Dean and Kim looked down on this poor child as they stood in his house. The furniture was ruined and blood stained the furniture. Jesse looked up at the three of them as Sam suggest he follows them to keep him safe. The boy was hesitant, but nodded.

"Can I go see my parents? I need to... say goodbye," Jesse stuttered, looking up at them. His eyes were so wide and pure, it was hard to believe a demon produced a child so pure.

"Sure," Dean nodded and the boy walked upstairs. Kim looked to Dean and Sam. "You think you could be something like him?" Dean asked and Kim smiled and shook her head.

"If I was, the angels would know what I was," Kim informed, a sad smile hung in her lips as she watched the young, innocent boy walk up the stairs. "I'm just gonna talk to him." The boys nodded and followed Jesse upstairs.

She followed him into his room where he sat on the bed. He looked up at her, his wild, child eyes met her hollow ones. The twinkle of hope that shone in his eyes that suggested that his life didn't have to be like hers, where the angels and demons were there to kill him and he had a chance of a normal life. She rushed to the boy's side in hope that his venture out of this life was successful.

"Go," Kim said firmly. "Once you're in this game, there's no getting out. You have the power, teleport somewhere. Leave before it's too late," she said in a rush.

"But-"

"You won't regret it," Kim said. "Go." With a blink of his eyes, Jesse had vanished from Kim's grasp and she sighed, his presence replaced by a note that floated on the bed. Kim smiled and looked to the poster on his wall. A bright blue poster of the beach that was titled 'Australia'.

But after they met the Antichrist, Dean sold his youthful years in a game of poker, just for them to be won back but Sam. Hunts weren't just hunts anymore. They were bigger and stronger, not like the things they had before Lucifer rose. The Four Horsemen were released upon the world and there was no stopping them; but this time, Sam had found a case that didn't seem too out of the ordinary.

"It's impossible, but... I could have sworn I saw... the Incredible Hulk," a woman said as they interrogated her on a case. Supposedly a bear chased this woman's husband to his house and up his stairs, ripping his head off with no claw marks.

"The Incredible Hulk," Sam repeated, slightly confused.

"I told you it was crazy."

"Bana or Norton?" Dean asked, earning a glare from Kim and Sam.

"Oh, no, those movies were terrible. The TV Hulk," she informed.

"Lou Ferrigno?" Dean muttered.

"Imagine getting you're head ripped off by Lou Ferrigno," Kim whispered to herself in slight amusement.

"Yes," the woman replied weeping.

"Spiky-hair Lou Ferrigno?"

"Yes," she continued.

"Not important, Dean," Kim hushed. "Thank you, ma'am, for you're time." The three of them walked off, leaving the woman to grieve.

•※•

Kim and Dean are at the motel room, researching the case. Well, Kim was nose first into her research while Dean had his feet up watching Dr Sexy MD.

"What in God's name are you watching?" Kim scoffed at the sitcom romance Dean seemed to be enjoying too much.

"It's called channel surfing," he replied, shutting the TV off and coming over to Kim to pretend to research. Kim continued to scroll through the coroner's report of the man's death, trying to find any link to the Incredible Hulk anywhere but there was nothing. Both of their head shot up when Sam arrived back from his own research at the crime scene.

"Find anything?" Dean asked as Sam placed his things down.

"Well, uh, I saw the house and there is a giant eight-foot-wide hole where the front door used to be. Almost like, uh-"

"A Hulk-sized hole?" Kim asked and Sam nodded.

"Maybe. What do you got?" Sam asked, sitting down next to Kim, already knowing Dean hadn't done much research.

"We have one link to the Hulk, but it's a long shot. Turns out our man had quite a temper. He's got two counts of spousal battery, bar brawls, and court-ordered anger management sessions. You might say you wouldn't like him when he's angry," Kim scoffed, continuing to scroll.

"So a hothead getting killed by TV's greatest hothead. Kinda sounds like just desserts, doesn't it?" Sam asked, hinting at something and Kim's head shot up. Sam and Kim looked at each other. They both knew what a was happening, but Dean was left clueless.

"Any candy wrappers?" Kim asked and Sam, nodded, pulling a handful out of his pocket.

"Lots of them," he replied. Sam and Kim kept looking at each other like they had just solved the case and it was annoying Dean.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Dean asked the two of them. They raised an eyebrow at him and he thought about it for a second. "Just desserts, sweet tooth, screwing with people before you kill 'em? We're dealing with the Trickster, aren't we?"

"Looks like it," Kim nodded, a small smirk on her lips. She wouldn't say it out loud, but she was glad it was the Trickster. She hadn't seen him in a while and he made her feel comfortable, he felt homely to her; not that she would admit it to either of the brothers.

"Good. I've wanted to gank that mother since Mystery Spot," Dean growled and Kim huffed.

"Sure, let's gank the most powerful creature we know which doesn't want to kill us," Kim huffed and Dean scoffed, getting up and walking to her.

"Doesn't want to kill us? He killed me over one hundred times," Dean reminded and Kim rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, well he resurrected you every time, too," Kim added, standing up to meet his stance. Although she stood, he still towered over her.

"Are you sticking up for him?" Dean asked, mockingly shocked. Kim rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"So what if I am?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, mockingly. Sam stepped behind Kim and nodded.

"She's right, Dean," Sam said and Dean growled.

"What?"

"Okay, Trickster's like a Hugh Hefner type, right? Wine, women, song- maybe he doesn't want the party to end. Maybe he hates this angels and demons stuff as much as we do. Maybe he'll help us," Sam said, looking dead into his eyes. Dean smirked and scoffed and laugh, wiping his mouth with his hand.

"You're serious," Dean said, his smiled wiped away. "Ally with the Trickster?"

"Yeah."

"A bloody, violent monster, and you wanna be Facebook friends with him?" Dean scoffed, looking back at Kim who was expressionless.

"The world is gonna end, Dean. We don't have the luxury of a moral stand. Look, I'm just saying it's worth a shot. That's all. If it doesn't work, we'll kill him," Sam said looking at Dean.

"No we won't," Kim said and Dean rolled his eyes.

"What? You dating him or something?" Dean scoffed and Kim didn't answer, just to tease him a little bit. Dean's mockery came to an end when Kim's silence lasted too long for his liking. Kim smirked as she felt Dean grip her arm forcefully in worry. "You're not dating him, are you?"

"Of course not you moron," she smirked. "But thanks for being worried." She smirked and walked away from him, sitting back at her laptop and continuing to research. Dean rolled his eyes as he looked to Sam, who was smirking at him. With a swift action, Dean sent Sam his middle finger, which he just laughed off.

"How are we gonna find the guy, anyway?" Dean asked.

"Well, he never takes just one victim, right? He'll show," Sam said and the three of them waited for something to show. Dean sat, sharpening a wooden stake with a bald and Kim became irritated with every strike her took to sharpen the wood.

"A wooden stake. 'Cause that worked so well last time," Kim scoffed.

"Shut up or I'll tell him about you're little crush on him," Dean hissed at Kim smirked.

"What? Jealous?" Dean didn't answer, he just kept sharpening his stake. The police scanner on the table started to sound.

"Um, Dispatch? I, I got a possible 187 out here at the old paper mill on Route 6?" the scanner said, its voice muffled.

"Hey," Sam called to them and they stopped working and focused on the scanner.

"Roger that. What are you looking at there, son?"

"Honestly, Walt, I, I wouldn't even know how to describe what I'm seeing. Just send everybody."

"All right, stay calm, stay by your car. Help's on the way." Sam turned off the radio and looked to them.

"That sounds weird," Dean said.

"Weird enough to be our guy."

•※•

The three of them drove cautiously to the whereabouts of the dispatch call, they found a warehouse, old and tall standing directly in the centre. The land was silent and no one else was there, it was competently empty. No noise was made except for the sound of their steps on the gravel road and the closing of the Impala doors. They pull out their flashlights form the trunk of the car as they gathered their equipment.

"There was a murder here, and there are no police cars. There's nobody. How's that look to you?" Dean asked sceptically.

"Tricky," Kim said, a small smile on her lips. Sam closed the trunk as Dean and Sam hold their flashlight and stake while Kim held her light. They walked towards the warehouse, their feet crushing the dead leaves that laid on the ground as they walked and entered.

A bright light blinded them as they opened the door and stepped in. There was no gush of wind or shift of temperature that Kim had noticed when teleporting, but she knew she wasn't where she expected to be. The sound of people walking and talking around her was the first thing she noticed. Voices of people all rushing about her. Then the smell of medicine kicked in as her eyes adjusted to the light and she found that instead of an old, abandoned, mouldy warehouse, she had stepped into a hospital.

The three of them looked down. Sam and Dean were wearing white lab coats and a doctors outfits while Kim wore a blue nurses top and pants. The three of them stood in some fictional hospital. They looked around, shocked at their scenery. Kim looked behind her to see the warehouse door they had stepped through was now a little door that fit the scenery.

"What the hell?" Dean asked as doctors walked past them with clipboards in their hands and other equipment.

"Doctor?" Sam asked, confused. Kim opened the door they just stepped through to see two people making out in what seemed to be a busy janitor's closet. Quickly, Kim cringed and closed the door, wiping the hand that touched the door handle on her shirt.

Suddenly, a sexy brunette girl walked up to Sam out of nowhere and slapped him in the face. Kim let out a gasp of laughter before slamming her mouth shut.

"Ow!" Sam yelped, rubbing his cheek.

"Seriously," the doctor said, flipping her brown hair.

"What?" Sam asked.

"Seriously? You're brilliant, you know that? And a coward. You're a brilliant coward," she said melodramatically, her voice cracking as she spoke to him. Sam stared at the girl with furrowed eyebrows and a confused look. All of them had no idea what was going on.

"Um. What are you talking about?" Sam asked the girl and she slapped him again.

"As if you don't know!" she answered dramatically and she stalked off, Dean gawking after her like he just watched his dream come true.

"I don't believe this," Dean panted and Kim scoffed.

"What?" Kim asked.

"That's Dr Piccolo," Dean said, addressing the brunette doctor.

"Who?" Sam asked.

"Dr Ellen Piccolo. The sexy yet earnest Doctor at-" he turned to the receptionist desk beside them and gestured to it, "Seattle Mercy Hospital."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sam asked, still confused and Kim furrowed her eyebrows, still not sure what he was talking about.

"The Doctor getups. The sexy interns. The 'seriously's. It all makes sense," Dean muttered.

"It does?" Kim scoffed

"We're in Dr Sexy, MD."

The three of them walk through the hospital corridors, looking at all the detail the Trickster had put into placing them in this world. Rooms were filled with patients and doctors hurried around, doing what doctors do.

Kim wandered down the halls with Dean on one side of her and Sam on the other, both as curious and shocked about the situation as she was. It was clearly written on their face, the horror shock they were experiencing. Everything looked so utterly real, even the texture of the walls fit the script.

"Dude, what the hell?" Dean breathed.

"I don't know," Sam sighed.

"No, seriously, what the hell," Dean continued, looking around, completely astonished.

"I don't know," Sam continued. Kim didn't speak, she was too in awe of what was around her, and how he had created a whole new existence with a snap of his fingers.

"One theory. Any theory," Dean encouraged and Sam shrugged.

"Uh, the Trickster trapped us in TV Land," Sam suggested. Dean looked to Sam.

"That's your theory? That's stupid," Dean huffed.

"You're the one who said we're on Dr Sexy, MD," Sam scoffed as they looked around.

"Yeah, but TV land isn't TV Land. I mean, there's actors and, and lights and crew members, you know. This looks real," Dean said.

"Maybe it is real," Kim said, looking around. They looked to Kim, unable to believe it.

"It can't be," Sam said, still in shock. Kim reached out and touched the wall as they walked.

"Feel's real," Kim added, Sam rolled his eyes. Dean watched as a doctor strolled past him. Without taking his eyes off him, Dean tapped Kim's shoulder furious with astonishment.

"There goes Dr Wang. The sexy but arrogant heart surgeon." They pass a man sitting on a gurney. "And there's Johnny Drake. Oh, he's not even alive, he's a ghost in the mind of-" Dean said excitedly. Another doctor walked in and she sat next to the man. "Of her. The sexy yet neurotic Doctor over there."

"So...this show has ghosts? Why?" Sam asked and Kim listened in.

"I don't know. It is compelling," Dean muttered.

"I thought you said you weren't a fan," Sam smirked and suddenly Dean got defensive.

"I'm not. I'm not," he argued and Kim scoffed.

"My ass," she smirked, looking up at Sam who was smiling down on her. There was a silence as Dean continued to admire the character around him.

"Oh boy," Dean said, star struck. His breath hitched and he watched the man walking towards them.

"What?" Kim asked.

"It's him," Dean breathed.

"Who?"

"It's him, it's Dr Sexy," Dean awed, staring at the man with luscious, flowing hair. He was walking towards them and Kim looked at him, furrowing her eyebrows.

"He's not very sexy," Kim said but she was ignored. Dean was too mesmerised by his presence to acknowledge her comment. Dr Sexy walked towards them, stopping before them with a comfortable smile. Kim smirked when she heard Dean's breath hitch.

"Doctor," Dean addressed. DR. Sexy looked to Sam and Kim who nodded slowly in acknowledgement until they felt a wack by a disrespected Dean.

"Doctor," they both greet at the same time.

"You want to give me one good reason why you defied my direct order to do the experimental face transplant on Mrs Biehl?" DR. Sexy said, looking to Dean and his expression quickly changed from awed to confused. He glared at Sam and Kim for help but they were just as clueless as he was.

"One reason?" Dean asked, stalling and the doctor nods. "Sure," he smirked before looking down, trying to figure out something to say when he noticed a slight miss detail. Instantly, and to Kim and Sam's surprise, Dean slammed the doctor against the wall, grabbing his viciously by the collar of his lab coat.

"You're not Dr Sexy," Dean accused, face to face with the impostor.

"You're crazy," he huffed.

"Really? Because I swore part of what makes Dr Sexy sexy is the fact that he wears cowboy boots. Not tennis shoes," Dean swore as he looked at the man, pushing him harder against the wall.

"Yeah. You're not a fan," Sam scoffed, looking to Kim who was smirking.

"It's a guilty pleasure," Dean admitted, not letting go of the man.

"Call security!" the doctor announced, causing the other doctor to rush off and get the guards. Dean smirked, pushing him further into the wall.

"Yeah, go ahead, pal. See, we know who you are," Dean accused and Kim furrowed her eyebrows, suddenly understanding what was happening. In a second of those words leaving his mouth, everyone around them froze. The doctors running with the guards were stopped mid-run, everything was still. Kim looked over Dean's shoulder to see Dr Sexy morph into the familiar face of the Trickster. He had a wide smile on his face and his eyes moved over to Kim and she felt safe under his whisky gaze.

"Hey, Kim," the Trickster smirked. "You guys are getting better!" he cheered with a narcissistic smile. Dean still had hi, pressed against the wall, but he seemed less than bothered.

"Get us the hell out of here," Dean ordered and the Trickster smirked.

"Or what?" he tested, raising an eyebrow. His lips were in a permanent cocky smirk and Dean would wish anything to wipe it off his face. With a quick and swift movement, Dean had the Tricksters arms twisted. "Don't say you have wooden stakes, big guy," he continued to mock, getting himself out of the embrace.

"That was you on the police scanner, right?" Sam asked and Kim nodded.

"That was a trick," she added. The Trickster looked at them dumbfound, rolling his eyes.

"Hello? Trickster," he dragged out, circling his face. "Come on! I heard you three yahoos were in town. How could I resist?" he smirked, happy with himself.

"Where the hell are we?" Dean asked and Kim watched as the Trickster walked around, proudly showing off his creation. His cocky attitude as the main feature.

"Like it? It's all homemade. My own sets-" he rattled a few windows. "My own actors... call it my own little idiot box." He smirked at them. Kim smiled and nodded, about to walk closer to him when she felt a tug on her top from Dean. She looked up ta him and watched as he shook his head, causing her to stand by his side,

"How do we get out?" Kim asked. She will admit, it was a well-made set and she somehow convinced herself to trust this creature, but she would not stay in Dr Sexy MD forever.

"That, sweetheart, is the sixty-four-dollar question," he smirked happily.

"Whatever. We just, we need to talk to you. We need your help," Sam said, getting to the point.

"Hm, let me guess. You three muttonheads broke the world and you want me to sweep up your mess," he huffed, slightly irritated.

"Please. Just five minutes. Hear us out," Sam begged. The Trickster thought about his proposal for a second before he smirked slightly, a signature smirk Kim would never forget.

"Sure. Tell you what. Survive the next twenty-four hours, we'll talk," he smirked.

"Survive what?" Dean asked cautiously as the Trickster started to get his energy back.

"The game!" he cheered.

"Oh no," Kim sighed, fearing she was gonna be stuck in this fake world for the next twenty-four hours. The memories of her being stuck on that repetitive highway flashed in her mind as he smirked to them. "Come on!" she sighed. "How do we play?" she asked, but she knew his answer would not be very helpful. He looked at her and smirked proudly.

"You're playing it."

"What are the rules?" Dean asked stupidly. The Trickster turned to Dean, his lips grinning happily. Staring him down, he didn't wait a second before wiggling his eyebrows and vanishing before them.

"Oh, son of a bitch," Dean huffed, looking at Kim and Sam before they continued to walk, having no idea what to do or how to play. It could be anything. He was the Trickster, he could make the rules up as they go, change the game as they played, he would purposefully make them lose if it meant he won; so they wandered the halls with not a clue what to do.

"Oh, by the way. Talking with monsters? Hell of a plan," Dean scoffed. Kim looked up to Dean from her shoulder and eyed his dangerous expression. Her reluctance to stick up for the Trickster grew higher with each time he trapped her in a new world of his own, yet somehow, it also increased her trust. She knew that with each trap had a message he was too stubborn to explain in words, and it was just a matter of figuring it out.

"Just, what do we do now?" Sam asked Kim huffed.

"We play the game," she said simply. The brothers looked to her, waiting for her to continue and she rolled her eyes. "Were doctors, right? So play doctor's, I guess," she suggested. Suddenly, Dr Piccolo appeared and took a swing at Sam, which he skillfully missed.

"Lady, what the hell?" Sam blabbered.

"You are a brilliant, brilliant-"

"Yeah. A coward. You already said that. But I got news for you. I am not a Doctor," Sam replied, still on defence mode, ready for another swing. Kim looked to Sam and studied him, her eyebrows furrowed.

"Yes you are," Kim said, looking at him, her eyes downing in seriousness. "You are a doctor." Sam looked to her confused.

"What?"

"Play doctor," she said. "He's giving us a storyline, play along with it," she said pushing him towards the doctor.

"Don't say that. You are the finest cerebrovascular neurosurgeon I have ever met, and I have met plenty. So that girl died on your table. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't anybody's fault. Sometimes people just die," she cooed and Sam looked to Kim who raised her eyebrows in encouragement.

"Sorry?" he said, unconvincingly.

"You're afraid. You're afraid to operate again. And you're afraid to love." With that, the doctor turned and left, sobbing. Dean rolled his eyes at what Kim had said. He wasn't playing any game, he was going to fight his way out of this. Kim might have fallen for his little plan, but Dean wasn't having any of it.

"Hey, Doctor," a man said, coming out from a patients room causing Dean to stop and look at him.

"Yeah?"

"My wife needs that face transplant," he said to him, hoping he could help. Dean looked at the man and then the patient in the room; a woman with bandages around her face. Dean sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Okay. You know what, pal? None of this is real-"

"No Dean-"

"-and your wife doesn't need jack squat. Okay?" The man scowled at him and went back into his room.

"No, we're supposed to play the game, remember. There's no other way to get out," Kim reminded his forcefully.

"You can play his stupid game, Kim. I don't care. He has you wrapped around his finger and you're just playing along," Dean scoffed and Kim rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, so I can get out." Without saying another word, they continue until they made it further down the hallway.

"Hey, Doctor," the man shouted for across the hall. Kim turned around to see the man Dean argued with raise a gun and shoot Dean straight to his knees. Kim gasped as Dean fell forward, his back bleeding out. He let out a scream of pain, blood started to pool.

"Real- it's real-" Dean chocked out as he felt the stinging pain of the bullet. In a panic, Kim fell to her knees and put her hand directly on Dean's wound, applying pressure.

"Oh shit," she swore, feeling his warm blood down her hand.

"No!" Sam sceamed. "Hey! We need a Doctor!" Sam shouted, someone who was standing by and watching would do something and grab a doctor, he looked around frantically, but everyone was just watching. Kim held her hand to the wound to try and stop as much bleeding as possible until Dean was whisked off to an operation room, the two of them followed.

Dean laid face down on the operation table, and Kim and Sam stood and watched as the doctors cleaned him up. Blood was being wiped from the wound and equipment was being set up and for inexplicable reasons caused by the Trickster, he is not under anesthesia; no one was really helping Dean as he swore and cursed in pain on the table. Immediately, Kim felt hands on her back, forcing her forward towards the table.

"Doctor, nurse, you're the only ones who can save him," another nurse said as they dressed Sam and Kim for operation. They pushed blue gloved into their hands and white sheets over their doctor's outfits. Others filled the room, ready to assist.

Kim felt a tap on her shoulder when she saw Dr Wang passed her some operating equipment Kim had no idea how to use. She stared at it for a moment before passing it to Sam. He looked at her as she passed it to him, completely and utterly confused by this situation, he didn't know how to properly use any of this fancy equipment.

"What?" Sam asked, looking at the equipment in Kim's hand.

"You have to play doctor, Sam. He's forced you into a situation where you can't not play," she said, glancing at Dean. He was bleeding out, and there was no way he was going to survive if they didn't stop the bleeding. "You've taken a bullet out before." Sam looked to Kim and Dean waited for something to happen, but when he felt nothing, he yelled.

"Sam. Do something. Come on!"

"I don't know how to use any of this crap," Sam argued.

"Figure it out," Dean hissed, the pain blocking his sympathy. Sam nodded and looked up, grinning awkwardly at the doctors and nurses around him, but they just wait for him to start the operation.

"Okay. Um. I need a penknife, some dental floss, a sewing needle, and a fifth of whiskey." Kim nodded and looked and, not sure where to get all the ingredient, and when Sam saw her struggle, he looked to the others who were completely baffled by his order. "Stat!"

"Found the whisky," Kim said, taking a sip from the bottle before giving it to Sam as the other collected everything else. Everything suddenly become more intense as everyone started to rush around, collecting what Sam had said. Kim stood beside him, watch what was happening.

Sam felt a tool be placed in his hand, and saw a little penknife sterilised and ready to go. He looked to Kim for reassurance, where she just nodded. This was the only way to play and win. Play the situation he wanted you to play. Be the doctor he wanted you to be or there will be no surviving the next twenty-four hours.

Sam looked to Dean would and started operating, Dean hissed with every interaction the knife made with his skin. Quickly, Dean's blood covered Sam's and Kim's gloves as Sam pulled out the bullet and Kim assisted his operation. Carefully, Kim threaded the floss through the needle, handing it to Sam, who didn't warn Dean before stabbing it into his skin. Roughly, but as delicately as he could, Sam started to treat the wound, closing the gaps in his flash. Blood spurted from Dean as he closed the gash, snipping off the last bit of floss.

"We okay? How's it looking?" Dean asked, trying to look at his back to see what was happening, but Kim put a hand on the back of his head and pushed him back down and the only thing Dean can see again as the feet of some hurried doctors.

"You're fine, Sam's done," Kim said, looking at the clean wound.

"Yep. You'll be fine," Sam assured, but not a second late, the channel changed.

The lighting and texture were different, by the room was black. Her comfortable nurse outfit was gone and she suddenly had no idea where she was. Sam's presence was no longer beside her and the room felt a lot larger than it was before. A different air flow crept against much of Kim's skin and she knew she was no longer playing a nurse.

But she had no idea where she was.

The lights switched and illuminated Kim's surroundings. Bright, fluorescent colours blinded Kim as she opened her eyes. Quickly, she lifted her hand to shield her eyes from the light, she squinted her eyes in an attempt to see what was around her but the lights kept flashing obnoxiously bright blues and pinks in her face. Removing her hand from her face, she heard Japanese music blasting through her ears. It was so loud and fast Kim couldn't comprehend what was happening.

She looked down after feeling a breeze rush over her bare stomach; which was weird considering she wore long jeans and three layers of jackets when she walked into the warehouse and a fully modest nurse outfit; her stomach was completely covered in each outfit. When she saw her outfit, Kim grimaced at all the skin she was showing and instantly felt the need to grab three jackets. Kim had never worn as little clothing outside as this outfit as this outfit and she became increasingly uncomfortable at the thought at the Trickster had put her in that outfit.

"Okay, we can kill him now."

She wore thigh length, white, leather boots that zipped up the side. They stuck to her calf and thigh like wet clothing and it made it hard to bend her knees. Her ass was barely covered by a red mini skirt that had a slit up her left leg to her waist, where only a black, elastic band clung to Kim and a red bra that looked like a quarter of a vest. Her hair was out and in loose curls that delicately dangled over her shoulders and a headband that had little devil horn on them. Kim ran her hand through her hair and pulled out her headband, looking at it in disgust before throwing it on the floor behind her.

Looking behind her, Kim saw two little structures in front of her that had a pole laying on the floor with a ball on the tip with Sam and Dean standing on them, their feet stuck to the floor of the structures. In between the two structures, a lever was sat suspiciously. Kim looked at the figures on the structure and squinted her eyes at them.

"Sam? Dean?" she asked, moving to take a step forward to see who was there, but her feet were trapped to the ground. Sam and Dean looked around confused, not sure how they got there or why they were stuck to the structure. Furrowing her eyebrows, she looked down at her feet. Kim tried to lift her feet again, but they wouldn't move. She bent down to unzip her boots but the zip was stuck, no matter how hard Kim pushed at the zip, it was impossible to move. Kim grew increasingly frustrated as she tried to rip herself from the boot, or the boot from the ground, anything that would let her walk, but it was useless, the Trickster had trapped her there.

"Trickster!" she growled, hoping he would come and release her, maybe jet her a jacket or a new outfit, but she knew it was no use. He put her there, he was not getting her out until the game was played. Suddenly, a blue-lit smoke floated above the ground and Japanese man with a sparkly silver suit jumped between them. His strut was filled with enthusiasm and energy as were his expressions.

The man started speaking in Japanese and none of them knew what he was saying, but they could tell by his tone he was hyped. His expressions were loud and dramatic, and the music led the hint to believe they were stuck in a game show. He spoke with a golden voice and moved with energy only found on TV; he had a smile made for television and was made up just to be looked at.

Suddenly the crowd cheered. The crowd Kim hadn't even noticed in her frantic rush to figure out where she was and what was happening. The man continued to speak in the language they couldn't understand before pulling out cards from his jacket pockets and flailing them about, showing them to the audience. They were definitely on a TV shows. Fake cameras were placed around the set and lights came from the fake ceiling, the audience cheered in the fake crowd, a recording of laughter sounded every time the Host said something funny, but they wouldn't know.

"Sam Winchester," the Host said turning to look at him before reading off the card in Japanese.

("What was the name of the demon you chose over your closest friend and brother?")

After he finished his question, a timer noise sounded and the sudden feeling of pressure was placed under them.

"Uh, what am I supposed to say?" Sam stuttered out, looking to Kim and Dean for help, but none of them knew what to do.

"You think I know?" Dean sassed, not knowing what was happening.

"Answer his question," Kim said, shrugging. It was a stupid suggestion. They all knew Sam had no idea what the question was, let alone answer in Japanese.

"How am I suppose to do that?" Sam yelled out, the game show music getting louder. "Uh, I, I don't, I don't understand Japanese," Sam said to the Host, who was just waiting for his response. The Host repeated the question, but it was useless, none of them had no idea what the question was. "Is he screwing with me? I, I, I can't speak Japanese."

The suspenseful timer music stopped and the time to answer the question had run out. Kim looked to the Host who had a dramatic shocked expression in his face. He speaks again.

("The answer is... Ruby!")

"I'm sorry, Sam Winchester," he spoke, a smirk on his face.

"Sorry? Sir? For what?" Sam asked as the Host hid his laughter. "Guys?" The pole on the platform shot up and whacked Sam, right in his groin. Dean grimaced as he watched his brother bend over in pain, groans releasing from him but the crowd cheered.

"Nutcracker!" the Host cheered loudly. Kim's mouth fell open in shock and looked at Dean's platform, seeing it has the same pole between his legs. As Sam recovered the lights started to flash.

"Oh now what?" Dean sighed, looking at the lights. The back doors swung open fiercely and fog erupted onto the stage to reveal Castiel who looked deadly serious. His hair was messy and his tie wasn't properly done up and he stared down the crowd as they cheered when he entered.

"Cas?" Dean asked, turning to see him as he entered.

"How did you get here?" she asked quickly, hoping he had a way to get out. "Is this another trick?"

"It's me," he confirmed. "Uh, what are you doing here?"

"Us? What are you doing here?" Dean asked, just as shocked as Castiel was to enter a game show.

"Looking for you. You've been missing for days," he replied, looking between Kim, Sam and Dean.

"Well, let's go!" Kim rushed.

"Let's go." Cas raised his hands to put his fingers on their foreheads but in an instant, he burst into static, leaving the three of them speechless. The Host entered with a mockingly disappointed look on his face.

"No, no, no, no. Mr Trickster does not like pretty-boy angels," he replied, shaking his head slowly.

"Cas!" Kim called out, hoping the Trickster would bring him back. Everything about this seemed to be more than before. The whole game show theme put a twisted spin on the whole concept of how he was playing them, but they had no idea how to play along.

The Host moved to Dean after Cas had vanished, and continued the show as if nothing had happened, while the three of them were still trying to wrap their heads around it. Again, the Host started to speak in Japanese.

("Would your Mother and Father still be alive... if your brother was never born?")

The countdown began and the music sounded, louder than the last. It was clicking down, making everything more challenging.

"What do I do, what do I do?" Dean frantically asked, trying his best to close his legs.

"What?" Sam asked.

"I don't wanna get hit in the nuts," Dean freaked. Kim looked to him as the countdown continued.

"Dean, you have to play along. Answer the question!" Kim shouted at him, but he was too busy freaking out to listen to her. "Dean! Sam played the doctor and that game finished. So play the guest and answer the question!" Kim shouted at him after she finally got his attention. He was stammering around, the only thing going through his mind was the sound f the countdown and the numbers as they got smaller.

"In Japanese?"

"Yeah!"

"I don't know Japanese!"

"Try!"

"Dammit!"

Dean smacked the button to stop the countdown, and every noise instantly stopped. All eyes were on him as they waited for his answer. Dean looked around for a second before answering in Japanese, his voice laced with question.

("The answer is... yes?")

The Host looked at Dean suspenseful before repeating his answer and Dean nodded, more of a shrug. There was a silence before the Host smirked and shouted to the audience

"Dean Winchester, Nutcracker champion!" The crowd cheered as Sam and Kim looked at Dean in confusion.

"How did you do that?" Sam asked shocked as Dean looked around, just as confused as they were.

"I have no idea," Dean replied.

"So that's it. We play our roles, we survive," Sam said and Kim nodded.

"He wants us to play the game," she continued.

"Yeah, but play our roles for how long?" Dean asked rather angrily and the rest of them sighed.

"Good question." There was a moment of nothing as the crowd continued to cheer, Dean forced a smile and waved before the channel changed.


	57. Chapter Fifty-Five

It was a bright day as a woman stood on her yoga mat, doing a small yoga pose by a lake. Her skin was clear and the sun shone on her soothingly. Calming music played in the background as her head gently turned to face the camera, a wide smile on her lips.

"I've got genital herpes," she smiled.

An old man sat on a couch with a grey shirt on and a soft expression.

"I've got genital herpes."

Four people were playing basketball on a court until one turned around. His hair was long and shaggy, his expression was very uncomfortable. Kim held in her laugh as she bounced the ball between her legs.

"Seriously?" Sam scoffed, rolling his eyes at the immaturity.

"Hey, we gotta play the roles if we wanna get out," Dean smirked taking the ball off Kim and shooting it in the hoop. Sam grimaced before turning back.

"Yeah. Right." He heard Kim let out a little laugh. "I've got genital herpes."

"I try to be responsible," said the woman doing yoga.

"Did I try," the old man smiled.

"But now I take twice-daily Herpexia to reduce my chances of passing it on," Sam said unwillingly with a heavy sigh, his tine dull and embarrassed.

"Ask your Doctor about using Herpexia," the Yoga Woman said.

The old man and his wife are dancing as the lady continues her yoga by the lake. Sam stood there, a lined smile on his lips hoping it was enough to pass onto the next game.

"Patients should always consult with a physician before using Herpexia. Possible side effects include a headache, diarrhoea, permanent erectile dysfunction, thoughts of suicide, and nausea."

"I am doing all I can to slightly lessen the spread of-of genital herpes," he sighed. "And that's a good thing." Finishing his lines, Sam sighed and turned back to the game as the 'commercial' ended and the channel changed.

It was silent as Kim stood outside a single door next to Sam, neither of them knew what was behind the door that stood in front of them. Looking around confused they turned to each other with scrunched eyebrows before slowly turning to the door. They listened as a laughing track played from inside and they sighed.

"Sounds like we're in some sort of sitcom," Sam announced, looking down on Kim who rolled her head back in hatred.

"We just have to play the game," Kim sighed, convincing herself and Sam to walk in. Bursting the door open, Sam and Kim marched through the room, a laughing track sounded when they entered. They turned to see fake camera's and a fake audience in front of them as if it was a show filmed in front of a live studio audience.

Kim really didn't want to play along anymore, especially with some shitty sitcom. There was nothing Kim hated more than being forced to watch a sitcom with talentless actors and over exaggerated storylines which would never happen in a million years. Her mind couldn't even focus on what was happening or what to say, she just kept reminding herself of how much she hated these stupid shows.

"Hey there, Sam and Kim. What's happening?" Dean said, looking to them, playing along. Sam smiled an awkward smile before answering.

"Oh, nothing. Um. Just the end of the world." A laugh track played and Kim looked off onto the audience with a confused look to wonder how that could ever be funny. Kim rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, sinking back into her own mind as she looked around and saw Dean's sandwich on the table. She groaned at it, it was something a stupid sitcom would do. A sandwich, miles high in the air with every type of filling you could imagine, twice. "You're gonna need a bigger mouth."

"Have you finished your research?" Kim asked as an annoyingly consent soundtrack of laughter continued even though she didn't say anything funny. Dean widened his eyes, looking into the camera with a look of 'busted' on his face. Kim groaned and rolled her eyes. She knew he was only playing his role, but it was probably the most unattractive thing she'd seen him do, and she's been with them for four years, she's seen him do almost everything.

"Oh, yeah. All kinds of research. All night," he lied and Sam smiled awkwardly again, looking at the camera for an instant before turning back to Dean, trying to make his acting as convincingly as he could, but he just seemed awkward and stiff.

"Yeah? Hm." The bathroom door opened and revealed a brunette girl wearing a bikini walk out and flaunt herself as she leant against the door frame. A wolf whistle sounded form the tracks.

"Oh, Dean..." she cooed, causing all ye to be fixed to her. "We have some more research to do."

Kim gagged and got an elbow to the rib when Sam saw her out of character. Rolling her eyes, she put on a fake disappointed expression and folded her arms dramatically, just as Sam did.

"Dean..." Sam scolded as a laugh track played.

"Son of a bitch!" Dean huffed, looking to the camera like he got caught. Kim huffed and rolled her eyes, walking over to the woman in the bikini and leading her towards the door.

"Sorry to stop your 'research', but we're trying to stop the world from ending," Kim huffed and with a forceful shove, a shove much stronger than it needed to be, Kim pushed the woman out the door and slammed it behind her, hopefully hitting her on the way out.

Dean smiled awkwardly at the camera as an applause and laugh track sounded. It was continuous and annoying, placed in placing not even meant to be funny and Kim, although she wasn't really playing along, was quickly getting sick of being there.

"How long do we have to keep doing this?" Dean said, walking sideways to Sam and Kim as they awkwardly met in the middle, speaking softly, trying to not break character while Kim huffed and walked between them, her character never broken because it was never there to start with.

"I don't know," Sam said, still smiling at the audience.

"It better be quick before I gouge my eyes out," Kim huffed. Sam looked at her.

"Can't you like... zap us out of here?" Dean asked Kim and she stiffened a little.

"I told you I don't know how. Trust me, if I could I would."

"Maybe we'll be stuck here forever?" Sam said, a laugh track sounded. "We might die in here." They laughed again.

"How was that funny? Vultures," Dean scolded at the audience as they continued to laugh, their awkward thoughts of deaths seemed amusing to them, and Kim was finding it hard to hold in her anger, but was distracted by the sudden burst of the door as Castiel entered; an applause covered the room.

All head snapped in his direction as he marched in, his trench coat flying out with a burst of wind and minor bruises and cuts on his face. Wherever the Trickster had sent him was a place he had to fight his way out.

"You okay?" Dean asked as his eyes scanned over Cas. His injuries weren't too severe to be majorly worried, but he was still injured and clearly distressed.

"I don't have much time," Cas continued hurriedly, ignoring Dean's question, it was not of importance.

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"I got out," Cas said lowly.

"Of where?" Kim asked, raising an eyebrow, his sudden injuries causing question.

"Listen to me. Something is not right," Cas warned. His voice was deeply distressed, his expression filled with worry. "This thing is much more powerful than it should be."

"You mean the Trickster?" Kim asked, slightly scoffing.

"If it is a trickster." Kim slightly gagged on her own saliva.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kim asked urgently. Such theory had never even entered her mind in all the time she had known him. He had all the qualities that Kim hadn't even considered it. Before Castiel could respond, he was sent flying back and smashed into the wall, collapsing to the floor with a firm strip of duct tape around his mouth as the Trickster leapt joyfully into the room, a plastered smile on his lips as he looked around to the audience as the cheered. He entered joyfully with a skip in his step, blowing kisses to the audience as they cheered him, greeting him with love.

"Hello!" he cheered, still greeting his actors. "Thank you. Thank you, ladies." Castiel stood up, the duct tape firmly covered his mouth, preventing him from saying what he wanted to say. He sent a hard glare to the Trickster who turned with a swirl to face Castiel, the smirk still on his face. "Hi, Castiel!" His expression hardened instantly, and with a single gesture towards Castiel, he vanished into a burst of static.

"You know him?" Sam asked the Trickster, astonished he knew who Castiel was.

"Where did you just send him?" Dean asked, more urgently. The Trickster smirked and looked to Dean.

"Relax, he'll live." He stopped and shrugged casually "...Maybe." Another laugh track sounded and Kim groaned. Kim had known the Trickster for a while and had her own conversation with the man, but not once had she ever thought that he might be more powerful than what he claimed. She examined him and questioned her faith in him. If he was really her friend like he claimed to be, would he trap her in a world that repulsed her for some message she never cared to learn?

"That's enough, get us out of here," Kim ordered, taking a step closer to the Trickster, only to be held back by a concerned Dean. "We got the message." He smiled at her his cheeky grin.

"Yeah? Get what, sweetheart?" he asked teasingly, causing Dean to scoff.

"Playing our roles, right? That's your game?" Dean finished and the Trickster snapped his head towards Dean.

"Don't flatter yourself, Dean. You are not 'sweetheart'," the Trickster smirked causing Dean to roll his eyes. "That's half the game."

"What's the other half?" Sam asked furrowing his eyebrows. A layer of tension fell over the room, awaiting the answer.

"Play your roles out there," the Trickster said, gesturing to the outside dramatically, but his words just confused the three of them more.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dean sneered and the Trickster rolled his eyes.

"Oh, you know. Sam starring as Lucifer," he gestured to Sam as he spoke in a spokesman's voice. "Dean starring as Michael. Kim the Saviour. Play your roles," he explained as if it was as easy said as done. They were so appalled the didn't know if they should believe him or not.

"You want us to say 'yes' to those sons of bitches?" Sam spluttered.

"Hells yeah!" the Trickster cheered. "Let's light this candle!" Kim looked at him in horror, not thinking he would act so light-heartedly to the acceptance of the end of the world. He was willing to just let it go, let the fight happen. The destruction of the world was only a word away and he was acting as if it was the easiest thing to say. To watch the world crumble under them due to their reckless actions. She stared at him, all hope ran from her eyes.

"We do that, the world will end," Sam argued, telling him as if he didn't already know.

"Yeah?" he scoffed. "And whose fault is that? Who popped Lucifer out of the box? Hm?" he jeered at Sam, raising an eyebrow as he stared at him accusingly. "Look, it's started. You started it. It can't be stopped. So let's get it over with!"

The three of them stood there in silence. Kim was speechless, she literally didn't know what to do. There was nothing to say. Someone she thought she knew wanted her to participate in the ending of the world as if she hadn't tried preventing that from happening the whole of last year.

"Heaven or hell, which side you on?" Dean asked unexpectedly. The Trickster sent him a deadly look, his once cheery and sarcastic expression turned for the worst. His stare was strong and powerful, his squinting eyes were threatening at the least.

"I'm not on either side," he replied seriously.

"Yeah, right. You're grabbing ankle for Michael or Lucifer. Which one is it?" Dean jeered, stepping closer to him, not a bit affected by his glares.

"You listen to me, you arrogant dick," the Trickster swore lowly. "I don't work for either of those S.O.B.s. Believe me." He was getting visibly angrier the more Dean jeered him. His jaw clenched and he squeezed his hands until his knuckles turned white, trying to hold back the wrath that he possessed.

"Oh, you're somebody's bitch," Dean smirked and instantly, the Trickster grabbed Dean by his coat, the Trickster's smile obliterated as if he had never smiled in his life and smashed Dean against the wall. He had so much power to destroy the boy right there and then, but he wanted to feel him quiver under his anger. The Trickster held him against the wall, getting in his face threateningly.

"Don't you ever, ever presume to know what I am!" he spat, "Now listen very closely. Here's what's gonna happen. You're gonna suck it up, accept your responsibilities, and play the roles that destiny has chosen for you." He threw his hands away from Dean, letting his feet drop slightly back to the floor. He stepped away from him and pointed to the three of them, his deadly glare staring the three of them down.

Kim had never seen this side of him. He was always cheery, cheeky, with the lollipop in his mouth and the sweet nicknames, but he was completely different and Kim didn't know how to respond.

"And if we don't?" Sam asked, testing his threat. The Trickster smirked at his smirked evilly and gestured around him stiffly.

"Then you'll stay here in TV Land. Forever," he threatened. "Three hundred channels and, uh, nothing's on." The Trickster moved his gaze over to Kim, the smirk still plastered on his lips, before snapping his fingers and he vanished; the channel changed.

Darkness developed over the land and the stiff TV lights had vanished. Flashing blue and red lights were the first thing Kim noticed as she opened her eyes. The cool air outside was chilling as they stood in the night.

Black jackets and small, tinted shaded covered their eyes. Kim cringed slightly as she slowly looked to the brothers who were standing beside her before looking around, relieved she was finally out of that stupid sitcom channel.

Crime scene tape cornered off a man that had been stabbed in the lower abdomen while reporters flashed their camera's lights at the scene. They stood outside the tape, looking in as Kim fiddled with her new outfit. A nice, black leather jacket and a pencil skirt, very professional and sexy, just as the Trickster liked it.

"Oh, come on," Dean huffed as a police officer ducked under the crime tape and walked to them.

"So, what do you think?" the police officer asked, gesturing to the dead corpse behind him. With a single glance, Kim could already tell the crime was fresh.

"What do I think? I think, go screw yourself, that's what I think," Dean barked at the man, obviously infuriated with the situation.

"Uh, could you give us a sec, please? Thanks," Sam asked the man before turning back to Dean as the man walked away. "You gotta calm down," Sam warned.

"Calm down? I am wearing sunglasses at night." He yanked them off his face and shook them around violently. "You know who does that? No-talent douchebags. I hate this game. I hate that we're in a procedural cop show and you wanna know why? Because I hate procedural cop shows. There's like three hundred of them on television and they're all the freaking same. It's ooh, the plane crashed here- oh shut up," he ranted. Sam and Kim rolled their eyes and Kim huffed.

"Yeah, now you know what it's like," she scoffed.

"Hey, check out sweet tooth over there," Sam said, pointing to a policeman that was over by the crime scene sucking on a red lollipop. He pulled it out of his mouth and waved it around as he spoke to another officer about the crime.

"Think that's him?" Dean asked and Kim looked at it.

"His favourite is red," she shrugged, looking to the brothers who looked down on her and raised an eyebrow as she huffed. "What?" Sam rolled his eye at her before looking up.

"Just, um, follow my lead," Sam said, perching his lips dramatically before he started sauntering over to the crime scene. Simultaneously, the three of them ducked under the crime tape, all their faces scrunched as they squinted their eyes and perched their lips and in a duck face formation. As they returned to the natural height from ducking, they pulled off their sunglasses and Sam and Kim gave a slightly dramatic hair flip as they swaggered over to the crime scene.

"Hit me with your best shot," Kim said to the officer as he furrowed his eyebrows at them, looking slightly disturbed by their act before scoffing and rolling his eyes. He kneeled at the body of the victim and started to explain.

"Well, aside from the ligature marks around his neck, he has what appears to be a roll of quarters jammed down his throat," he explained, pointing to the body with his lollipop. Dean whisked off his glasses and got out his flashlight before shining it on the body. Sam slow took off his glasses and dramatically turned away.

"Well I say, jackpot," he scowled. The officer looked up and snorted on amusement, before putting the lollipop in his mouth.

"Also, there is a stab wound to the lower abdomen," the officer continued, gesturing again with his lollipop. Both Kim and Dean took off their glasses again, melodramatically before looking at the wound. Dean grabbed a stick and started to poke the wound.

"Well, I say, no guts, no glory." The officer laughed at him as Kim smoothly put on her glasses and flipping her hair. Being so melodramatic was exhausting.

"Get that guy a Tums."

"Gutterball."

Kim held back a smirk and pulled a duck face as the officer continued to laugh.

"Good one, guys." Kim watched as Dean sneaked behind him with the stake. The officer felt his presence behind him and turned around. Mercilessly, Dean stabbed the stake through the man's chest and into his heart. No one around reacts as the man fell to the ground, blood spurting out of his mouth and chest, coughing and gagging.

Suddenly, an officer they had never spoken to started to laugh beside them, his face morphed into the Trickster as he smirked.

"You've got the wrong guy, idiots."

"Did we?" Dean asked and the Trickster turned around suddenly, feeling a presence behind him as he as distracted from laughing. He saw Kim, standing there with a stake and regret in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her eyes watered before forcing the stake through his chest. She never wanted to kill him, but he was stubborn and powerful and would do anything he could to make sure that the three of them played their rolls out there, even if it meant the end of the world; she couldn't let that happen. It was something she had to do to get the job done. It was just another sacrifice she had to make.

They stared at each other as she shoved the stake into his heart. He gagged, blood spluttering from his mouth as he fell onto his knees in front of her. She swallowed a lump in her throat and blinked away the tears she had in her eyes. She tore away from his stare as he gagged at her feet before falling over to his side. Static ripped through the room and the crime scene was turned back into the warehouse they had entered, the Trickster laid dead on the floor.

•※•

The next day and come and they had made their way to a motel in the next town. The motel was quiet as Dean stood in the bathroom brushing his teeth. Toothpaste foam dripped from his mouth as he brushed, his voice almost inaudible as he spoke.

It was a normal day outside, the town wasn't very busy and the sun didn't shine any brighter than usual. The morning seemed almost dull, in fact. The motel room they were staying at wasn't brightly coloured and barely any bright sunlight survived through the blinds.

"I'm worried, man. What that SOB did to Cas. You know, where is he?" Dean said as he brushed his teeth, staring at himself in the mirror; there was no response. "Kim? Sam?" Dean furrowed his eyebrows and spat out the toothpaste from his mouth, wiping it away from his lips and walking into the motel room where the beds were. It was empty. No one was there and the beds were still made. "Where are you?"

Dean headed for the Impala with one bag in his hand and his phone to his ear. Hopping into the front seat. His walk was rushed but he didn't really seem too worried. The phone rung on his ear and he waited for an answer and when the phone finally beeped, he heard the voice recording.

"You probably have the wrong number, and if you don't, I probably can't help you," Kim's voice spoke from the phone. "Hi!" a small voice said in the background of the message. "Screw off, Dean!" Dean listened and sighed when she didn't answer and instead rang Sam.

"It's Sam. Leave me a message," the message recorder said to Dean as he called Sam.

"Sam. It's me. Where the hell did you go? And let me know if Kim's with you, she's not answering her phone either," he sighed, hanging up the phone and placing his hands on the steering wheel.

"Dean?" Sam's voice said in the car, but it sounded odd, slightly robotic. Dean looked around, his eyebrows furrowed, Sam isn't in the car.

"Sam? Dean?" Kim's voice asked, but it was higher than usual.

"Kim? Sam? Where are you?" Dean asked looking around.

"I don't know," Sam replied, his voice croaky. Dean furrowed his eyebrows as he looked around the car when he noticed a red, bared light on the dashboard of his car and it would flash and rise whenever Sam would speak, like a voice monitor.

"Oh crap," Sam said and the red light flashed.

"I don't think we killed the Trickster," Kim said in her high pitched voice, but the bar didn't flash, but, an unusual bobble-headed bikini girl with black hair and a skinny pin fastened to the strap of her bikini bounced when Kim spoke. Dean sighed and looked at the doll.

Dean started to drive down a beautiful road, shaded by trees and fallen leaves. "Okay, stake didn't work. So, what, this is another trick?" Dean asked.

"I don't know. Maybe the stake didn't work because it's not a trickster?" Sam suggested and Kim cringed, not that anyone could notice.

"What do you mean?" Dean asked Sam.

"You heard Cas. He said this thing was too powerful to be a trickster," Sam reminded.

"And did you notice the way he looked at Cas? Almost as if he knew him," Dean added and Kim nodded, starting to consider the idea.

"And how pissed he got when you brought up Michael and Lucifer. But if he's not a trickster, then what is he?" Sam asked, not sure if she wanted to know the real answer. Everyone stayed silent for a moment before looking Kim sighed in realisation.

"Son of a bitch," Dean breathed. "I think I know what we're dealing with."

•※•

Dean parked the Impala in a little opening he found, where the sky was clear and blue and the trees outline a clear place to park. Leaves fell from the trees and scattered around the ground and Kim watched stiffly from her position in the car, unable to do much else. Dean rummaged through the trunk of the car when a robotic voice sounded.

"Dean?" Sam asked.

"What?"

"That, uh, feels really uncomfortable," he said quickly as Dean rolled his eyes and shut the trunk with a slight slam.

"Ow," Sam voiced and Kim laughed at him. "Shut up, Kim. You're a bobblehead." Kim instantly shut her mouth and rolled her eyes.

"You sure this is gonna work?" Kim asked.

"No, but I have no other ideas," Dean said as he walked to the front of the car and looked up into the clear sky. "All right, you son of a bitch!" he shouted to the sky. "Uncle! We'll do it!"

There was a silence.

"Should I honk?" Sam asked and Kim smirked slightly, silently grateful that she was here with the brothers. In an instant, the Trickster appeared before Dean before walking around him and looking at the Impala, a cheeky smile on his lips, like he had won again.

"Wow. Sam. Get a load of the rims on you," he teased, a cheeky smirk on his lips.

"Eat me," Sam replied blankly, the Trickster smirked at his response and walked back in front of Dean.

"Okay," he clapped. "Ready to go quietly?" he asked, the cheery little smirk on his lips and sparkle in his whisky eyes.

"Whoa whoa whoa, not so fast. Nobody's going anywhere until Sam and Kim as opposable thumbs," Dean demanded, pointing to the Impala.

"What's the difference? Satan's going to ride Sam's ass one way or another," the Trickster huffed but Dean gave him a stern glare making him roll his eyes. He lifted his hand in the air and waited a second before clicking his fingers. Dean watched as Sam and Kim walked out of the car, both feeling their bodies to see if it was really them. "Happy?"

"Tell me one thing. Why didn't the stake kill you?" Dean asked, setting up his conversation. The Trickster shrugged and pursed his lips as if the answer was obvious.

"I am the Trickster," he shrugged.

"Or maybe you're not." Sam held up a flaming lighter and tossed it to the ground. A ring of fire circled the Trickster and he watched it engulfed him. "Maybe you've always been an angel." The Trickster looked incredulous, before laughing.

"A what? Somebody slip a mickey in your power shake, kid?" he laughed, looking to Kim who was staring at him, her expression emotionless.

"I'll tell you what. You just jump out of the holy fire and we'll call it our mistake," Dean said confidently, but Kim hoped that it wasn't true, that he would just hope out of the circle of fire with his usual skip in his step.

The Trickster looked at them silently and in through, before laughing. He looked up and disconnected their gaze; his laughter slowly died into a croak. His head turned to them, his expression hard and caught. Static circled them and the beautiful land they were in vanished into the warehouse they had entered days ago.

Kim released the breath she was holding in, a heavyweight of disappointment and regret washed over her. An angel. His eyes caught Kim's but she had trouble looking back as her mind was torn between the words of her father and the trust she had poured into this angel. He slowly started to clap, looking at the three of them, trying to avoid the regret on Kim's face.

"Well played, guys. Well played. Where'd you get the holy oil?" he asked casually, but Dean smirked, knowing that they had won.

"Well, you might say we pulled it out of Sam's ass," Dean smirked as Sam cringed slightly.

"Where'd I screw up?" the 'Trickster' asked, not sure what gave him away.

"You didn't. Nobody gets the jump on Cas like you did," Sam explained as Kim stood in silence, examining him as he spoke. She couldn't believe it, she refused. "Mostly it was the way you talked about Armageddon," Dean smirked.

"Meaning?"

"Well, call it personal experience, but nobody gets that angry unless they're talking about their own family," Dean said, his tone dripping with satisfaction. The 'Trickster' looked to Kim but she just stared him down, her faith in him severely questioned. She only ever gave single chances, not three, not two, only one. He lied to her, tricked her into believing he was something he wasn't. She squinted her eyes at him, wondering why she should treat him differently; and she wouldn't. Pushing every experience she had ever had with him behind her, she crossed her arms.

"What one are you? Grumpy, Sneezy or Douchey?" she asked, staring him down. He looked to her with saddened eyes, like he had lost something he treasured deeply. He looked at the three of them as the silence continued, a slight confidence in his saddened eyes.

"Gabriel, okay?" he said. "They call me Gabriel." His voice was angelic, and it was the first time Kim had noticed it. Kim sucked in a breath and nodded, pursing her lips slightly.

"Gabriel? The archangel?" Kim asked and Gabriel smirked weakly and lifted a tired eyebrow.

"Guilty," he sighed.

"Okay, Gabriel. How does an archangel become a trickster?" Dean asked and Gabriel sighed.

"My own private witness protection," he said. "I skipped out of heaven, had a face transplant, carved out my own little corner of the world. Till you three screwed it all up," he spat and Dean rolled his eyes unsympathetically.

"What did Daddy say when you ran off and joined the pagans?" Dean jeered and Gabriel looked his dead in the eye. The foul smell sifted through the room like the distaste in Dean's tone.

"Daddy doesn't say anything about anything," he said firmly. Sam raised an eyebrow at him.

"Then what happened? Why'd you ditch?" Sam scoffed.

"Do you blame him? I mean, his brothers are heavyweight douchenozzles," Dean scoffed but Gabriel was quick to catch his tongue.

"Shut your cakehole," he warned fiercely, spit firing from his mouth as he spoke. "You don't know anything about my family. I love my father, my brothers. Love them! But watching them turn on each other? Tear at each other's throats? I couldn't bear it! Okay? So I left Heaven. And now it's happening all over again." He looked down with eyes that knew too much.

"Then help us stop it," Sam pleaded but Gabriel just shook his head.

"It can't be stopped," he said simply.

"You wanna see the end of the world?" Dean asked threateningly, but Kim saw in his eyes that he already had and that this was just another step towards the inevitable.

"I want it to be over! I have to sit back and watch my own brothers kill each other thanks to you three!" he spat. "Heaven, Hell, I don't care who wins, I just want it to be over!"

"It doesn't have to be like that. There has to be some way to, to pull the plug," Sam said positively, but Gabriel just laughed like Sam had no idea who he was dealing with.

"You do not know my family. What you guys call the apocalypse, I used to call Sunday dinner," he growled. "That's why there's no stopping this because this isn't about a war. It's about two brothers that loved each other and betrayed each other. You'd think you'd be able to relate," he scoffed.

"What are you talking about?" Sam asked as he stared at Gabriel, but he glanced at Kim. Every time his eyes glanced over to Kim, they would soften and weep for her.

"You sorry sons of bitches. Why do you think you two are the vessels?" Gabriel asked. "Think about it. Michael, the big brother, loyal to an absent father," he said with his golden voice, gesturing to Dean, "and Lucifer, the little brother, rebellious of Daddy's plan. You were born to this, boys. It's your destiny! It was always you!" Gabriel looked up, his hands following his gaze. "As it is in heaven, so it must be on earth. One brother has to kill the other."

"What the hell are you saying?" Dean asked quickly.

"Why do you think I've always taken such an interest in you? Because from the moment Dad flipped on the lights around here, we knew it was all gonna end with you. Always," Gabriel explained as the brothers stared at each other, a long pause between them.

"No," Dean seethed firmly. "That's not gonna happen." Gabriel looked at him with eyes full of sorrow, round and wet, they looked so genuinely apologetic. HIs expression softened slightly, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

"I'm sorry. But it is," he sighed. "Even with God's sorry attempt to fix his mistakes, there is no use. This is how it ends. There is no other option." Kim furrowed her eyebrows at him as he looked down in disappointment and shame. His eyes weak as they drifted away. His faith in God shattered even more than it already had.

"God's attempt to fix his mistakes?" Kim scoffed. "What has he ever done to fix any of this?!" Kim bellowed furiously. Gabriel looked up at her softly.

"You," Gabriel sighed. "I'm talking about you."

•※•

The warehouse filled with a heavy silence. The air was still. The heat of the fire grazed Kim skin as she stood on the outer edge of the flames. The windows fogged with the smoke from the fire as it filled the room with no escape. There was no release.

Kim waited impatiently for Gabriel to continue, the knowledge of who she was stood only a ring of fire away from her. She was only a few words away from discovering what she spent her life trying to ignore, avoid.

She stood there, her muscles tensed and her stare locked as she waited for her answer. It was if Gabriel and herself were the only two people in the room, and all that came from his mouth was the only thing that ever mattered.

He looked at her with such pride. A gleam in his eyes she had seen in no one else when they looked at her. A sad smile on his lips like all the wrongs of his world could be fixed by just her presence. He looked at her through the flames of Heaven he stood in the circle of and saw a girl with the world weighed on her shoulder, he saw her pain, he saw everything.

"Gabriel, what are you talking about? What has this got to do with me?" she asked hastily.

The room fell silent as the air thickened and the heat rose. Gabriel could feel the shift in the room as she stared at him. His eyes met hers and he saw that little girl all those years ago. Her eyes hadn't changed, he could see that they were still the same. They had lost all hope and that shine that was so unique too, but they were still the same. He didn't want to tell her. He didn't want to tell her because he knew she would blame herself and she would never understand how oppressive her task was, but he also knew it was time for her to know the truth.

"God," Gabriel breathed, "made the wrong decision and placed the weight of the world on a poor child's shoulders when he should have just fixed the mistake he made himself!" Gabriel yelled into the open air, his voice gradually getting heavier and louder as the sentence lengthened. He was yelling to God, and he knew he would hear. He heard everything, he was just too much of a coward to face what he had done. Kim looked to Gabriel, she had never seen him so distressed before.

"You're not making any sense, Gabriel. What are you talking about?" she asked quickly. Gabriel shot his head towards her, an angered expression on his face. He had to tell her. The time had come and she had the right to know. She had the right to know a long time ago. The burden of the truth was something she had to carry now, there was no other option.

Gabriel pulled out a small vial from his pocket and held it in his hand. It was layered in dust as if it hadn't been touched for years, but even layered in filth, it held a shine of divinity only given by the morning sun.

"Before I left Heaven, he gave me this." Gabriel opened in hand and showed her. "Looking at it now, you wouldn't think it had the duty of holding the grace of God for millions of years." He looked up at her and smiled softly. "Just a drop of his grace, that's all it took to create one of the most powerful creatures in the universe. More powerful than me, more powerful than Lucifer, more powerful than any Nephilim or Antichrist there ever was or will be."

Kim listened from beyond the flames to the words Gabriel spoke as if reading from a gospel she refused to believe in. His words were light and proud as he spoke, his eyes glistening as he shared Kim's story, but she refused to hear, she refused to listen. She had to hear it clear as day, she had to know what she was.

"Get to the point, Gabriel," Kim said impatiently.

"He told me I would know when and who to give it to, and when I saw you in your mothers womb, born from an infertile mother, in the right era and of the right age, I knew it was you, Kim," Gabriel smiled at her proudly as he stared at him incredulously.

"It was always you! I went to your family the moment you were chosen and left a small gift, the least I could do for the sacrifice of their daughter; a box of Blood-Bound Promise Angel pins. One of Heaven's weapons, just like the one on your jacket there, sweetheart." Kim quickly covered her exposed pin.

"What the hell are you saying, Gabriel!?" Kim asked more forcefully. She knew what he was saying, but she refused to believe anything until she heard it straight from his mouth.

"A true Goddess walks this Earth and it is you!" he cheered, but he could see the flame in her eyes. "God gave me the responsibility of giving you meaning—"

"And what is that meaning?" she asked quickly. Gabriel looked at her, his cheery expression changed when she asked that question, knowing she would be disappointed.

"You were placed on this Earth to perform a task that was only meant to be completed by God; to fix his mistakes. He saw the death of the world and gave me his grace, giving me the power to create a creature to prevent the rising of Lucifer," he said solemnly. Kim huffed a laugh and looked down, shaking her head at herself. Of course, why would she think any different? And again, with just one sentence, she had lost all faith that she may have had in herself. "Don't look so disappointed, Kim."

"Don't look so disappointed?" she scoffed. "I just let the end of the world happen when I always had the power to prevent it!"

"God's grace is burdensome—"

"I had the power to prevent everything! Dean being sent to Hell and every single death I have ever been through! I lost everyone!" she screamed, eyes becoming threateningly wet as she almost sobbed. "I let my sister die!"

"Hey!" Dean snapped. "That's enough! You had no idea what you were and did the best you could. We screwed up just as much as you did, okay?" Dean said, trying to comfort her but she just shrugged him off. She was not in the mood for comfort, she was in the mood to eat a bullet, but she knew that wouldn't do what she wanted it to do.

"Is there anything else you'd like to tell me?" Kim huffed. "Any other mistakes I have to fix or lives I could have saved?" she asked, her eyes squinting at him angrily, but Gabriel just looked at her softly.

"Even with his power, Kim, this was always how it was going to end. Guys. I wish this were a TV show. Easy answers, endings wrapped up in a bow... but this is real, and it's gonna end bloody for all of us. That's just how it's gotta be." He looked down, his voice a low and soft moan of sadness, almost as if he was disappointed in himself. "But I will believe in you no matter what you decide to do, Kim."

Kim's head was hung as she listened to him. The pain she felt and the sorrow she caused, she wasn't sure if she would ever believe in herself again. She always thought of herself as a strong person, but when one figures out they lived a life of misery and death when all along they had the power to stop it, it can bring the strongest person to their knees, and it did.

The silence consumed the room as the flicker of the flame that circled Gabriel continued.

"So, now what? We stare at each other for the rest of eternity?" Gabriel asked as Dean wrapped his arm around Kim's waist. She never really searched for physical comfort when she was upset like most others, she preferred to be in a room by herself where she can wallow in her feeling until they began second nature, but she knew Dean was only trying to help, and she knew that got just as bad news today so she expected his gesture. She just needed some time to adjust to the news.

"Well, first of all, you're gonna bring Cas back from wherever you stashed him," Dean ordered, but Gabriel liked to be testing.

"Oh am I?" Gabriel asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Or we're going to dunk you in some holy oil and deep-fry ourselves an archangel," Dean sassed. Gabriel looked to Kim for some backup. Normally she would defend the angel, but her head was hung and her lips were shut. With a glare, Gabriel snapped his fingers and Castile appeared outside the fire, next to Sam.

"Cas, you okay?" Dean asked when he saw his appearance. He was more beat up than before. Blood pouring from a bloody nose, a bruised eyes with red inflammation, he looked like he fought hard.

"I'm fine," Cas said lowly before turning to Gabriel. "Hello, Gabriel."

"Hey, bro. How's the search for Daddy going? Let me guess. Awful," Gabriel sasses as Castiel glared at him. Castiel had been on a search to find God in the hope he would do something to fix the shit that was happening on Earth, but when a battle presents itself that threatens to kill the whole world, he cowers away and no one will find him until he is ready to be found.

"Okay, we're out of here. Come on," Dean said, turning to the door. The rest of the following, his arm still around Kim's waits.

"Uh. Okay. Guys?" Gabriel called out to them as they walked away. He was still trapped in the holy fire and only God knew when it would burn out. "So, so what? Huh? You're just gonna, you're gonna leave me here forever?" Dean stopped by the door and turned to him, Kim followed his actions.

"This isn't about some prize fight between your brothers or some destiny that can't be stopped. This is about you being too afraid to stand up to your family," Dean shouted at him as he stared at the angel. Dean turned around again, forcing Kim to follow.

"Kim, don't do this," Gabriel pleaded, knowing she was his last chance. "God! God has everything! The entire universe is his! But you- you were my responsibility! He had everything but you! You were mine!" he breathed. His eyes dropped. Kim stopped to Dean surprise and turned to him. Gabriel looked to Kim who stared into his whisky eyes. Even form a distance, even after all the news he had told her today, staring into those whisky eyes made her feel safe and comfortable. She turned to the wall and using her free elbow, she broke the glass of a fire alarm. Without hesitation, she pulled the lever and the sprinklers started to pour with water slowly putting out the fire around Gabriel.

"Your faith will get you killed, Gabriel, like it has for everyone else," she said and watched as the rain saturated Gabriel. He looked up as they rained down on him, wetting his clothes as he stared at them as they left, the flame finally disintegrating. With one last glance at Gabriel, she turned to Dean who looked at her and led her outside, leaving the wet angel behind them.


	58. Chapter Fifty-Six

The night was deadly silent as the Winchesters slept in their motel beds. The cool air outside was chilling and still, sending small goosebumps up Kim's arms as she sat in her bed. The scratchy blankets curled around her legs as she brought her knees up to her chest, resting her head on the tops of her knees.

She stared into the dark room that swallowed her, her eyes tricked her with small shades of light that outlined the room, but there was no light. It was complete and utter darkness. Her eyes adjusted to the black for she had been staring at nothing for hours and what she had hoped to be an early night where she would sleep away her problems turned into a three am staring match with the darkness. Her mind raced with thoughts she had hoped to destroy with a bullet, but the sound of a gunshot at this late at night would wake the brothers for no reason, it's not like a bullet would do its job anyway.

Her mind replayed the day she sat in that small, crappy motel room when she was just thirteen years old. Hours had passed with her on the couch, cringing in pain as her stomach punished her. That day, not until late at night when her sister hadn't arrived home, she had not thought of Sarah once or the danger she had put her in. She was selfish and stubborn and she wondered how her life you be if she didn't wake up that morning, or any morning after that.

She let so many people slip through her fingers and all she wanted to do was meet them in Heaven, but her death was too far away for her liking, if she ever found a way to die in the first place. She spun the pin on her shirt, felling the golden wings of the angel glide against her finger as she spun it. She wished she had never excepted her father's promise and maybe what she wanted would be so much easier to achieve, but she was young and he was scary, so she excepted not realising how painful it would be to live.

Not one tear slipped from Kim's eyes as she stared into nothing, although they threatened her deeply to let one slip. She blinked them away just like every other time something horrible went wrong in her life, and she just stared.

Kim slowly looked over to the boys beside her. Dean slept with the blankets between his legs, one hand under his pillow and the other outstretched, his back facing the ceiling while Sam barely had any blankets on him as he spread across the mattress. She was going to miss their late night talks and their movie nights whenever the monsters decided to give them a break. She was going to miss the look in Dean's eye whenever he woke up to the smell of her making breakfast or Sam's face when she would tell a dirty joke he would never expect to come out of her.

She would miss everything about the brothers, even the fatal moments they spend together and although she had once said that she regretted coming with the Winchesters, she wouldn't trade the time she spent with them for the world. The long drives in the Impala, shouting at Sam across the store to embarrass him, the nights they would sit in the Impala and watched the stars for hours without saying a single word.

She would miss the most annoying parts about the Winchesters. Dean's need to put everyone's needs and mistakes before his own or his way of looking at you and making you feel so wanted, before leaving with another stripper for the night.

Sam's stubbornness and his magnet to make mistakes for things he had previously been warned about. All the little things Kim would miss about the brothers was one of the reasons why she was still sitting in bed instead of packing like she said she would an hour ago.

She slowly unravelled the blankets from around her legs and softly placed her feet on the floor. It was deadly silent as any sound would be enough to make the Winchesters stir. She tried to step and breath as quietly as she could as she gathered her two bags. One for her weapons and the others for her clothes and toiletries. She gathered her things and stopped every now and again, whenever she saw one of them stir in their sleep. Holding her breath, she zipped up her final bag.

With heavy eyes, she tiptoed into the gap between Sam and Deans bed. She tried her best not to look at them as she gently placed down her Knife of Kurds on their bedside table. She had no proper use for it anymore, it only reminded her of the father she couldn't save.

Sighing softly, she turned, both bags in her had and headed toward the door. She took each step as slowly as possible, hoping that by the time she reached the door she would change her mind and turn back to the brothers, hopping into her bed and waking up in a few hours as none of this had ever happened. But she stood at the door, and her mind hadn't changed even when she reached for the door handle. Letting her hand drop over the knob, she looked over her shoulders at the brothers one last time before she left and never looked back.

She opened the door and closed it behind her, leaving the Winchesters alone to wake up to no note or any reassurance that she was going to fix the mistake she had made. They would wake up to a room that had one less person in it. Once she did send Lucifer back where he came from, Kim hoped that they would move on with their life.

The air outside was colder than it was inside, and Kim wrapped her jacket further around her. She was set. She was going to do this, she had no idea how, but she was going to finish what she had stared, to make everyone she let down proud. She was going to send Lucifer back into his cage, if, and hopefully it was, the last thing she did.

Sighing, she took her first step away from the brothers. She promised herself she would never look back and she didn't. Her slow steps away was a new step in the direction she wanted to go, but a heavy force stopped her steps when a warm hand grabbed her arm and pulled her backwards.

Kim gasped when she felt a familiar hand grab her wrist and tug. Dropping the bags in her hand, she was spun around to see Dean staring at her in the middle of the parking lot. His eyes looked her up and down as he held her firmly, his grip never threatening to loosen.

"What are you doing?" he asked deeply. His green eyes stared into her as they illuminated from the moonlight. Kim looked to him and swallowed as he stared her down. Her expression was filled with dread, slightly firm as she looked at him, matching his own.

"I'm going to finish the job I was meant to finish," she said firmly and Dean looked at her and pulled her slightly towards him.

"Without us?" he asked as he tugged. Kim jerked towards him, and with only one hand on her, he had almost complete control over her.

"This is my job, Dean. I was meant to keep Lucifer in Hell and I couldn't even do that."

"You didn't know it was your responsibility," Dean argued.

"That's not the point! I couldn't help you then and I can't help you now. I'm- I'm going and I'm going to finish this like I should have before." Kim looked up at him as she stared down at her. His eyes softened as he glanced over her expression. She hated herself, he could see it in her eyes and in the tone of her voice.

"You can't leave us, Kim," he said softly, his eyes pleading down at her. "We need you." Kim scoffed and rolled her eyes, using this time to rip herself from Dean's death grip.

"Sure," she scoffed. "You only need me to do you're bidding. Because I'm powerful, right? Just like you needed me when you found out I could kill Lilith, but guess what I couldn't do that either!" she spat. She scoffed and rolled her eyes, turning around and marching away, both of her bags in her hands, but he jogged after her and grabbed her again, spinning her around as he had before.

"Let me go, Dean," she spat, trying to rip herself from his grip but his grip was too strong.

"No," he said firmly. "I won't let you go and I won't let you believe this was all your fault! So what? You screwed up, so did we. But I won't let you go." He looked down on her, his eyes soft and they grazed over a shimmer that was hidden under her jacket.

"Weapon of Heaven, huh?" Dean sighed, his grip not faulting. Kim watched him as he remembered what Gabriel had said about the pin. Her eyes scanned his as he stared at the angel pin, who had a body of blood red ruby, a perfectly circular pearl for a head and a gold halo and wings that stretched out gracefully. It looked like a fortune, it was so elegant.

Dean looked at the pin with curiosity. How could such a small, common thing be powerful enough to one of Heaven Weapons, one of Heavens most treasured possessions? Kim could see his curiosity and she braced herself for his bombarding questions. "What is it?" he asked her, his eyes gently moving back to match Kim's; she sighed softly.

"It's just a pin, Dean." Her ungraceful attempt to avert his attention was overgrazed as usual.

"A 'promise pin', I think Gabriel said," Dean jeered, accusing her last statement as false. Kim swallowed a lump in her throat. She didn't like thinking about it, and the more she did, the more she felt the burden of carrying that pin around of her every day.

"Dean, I have to go," she almost pleaded.

"The pin, Kim." She stared at him, hoping to see a fault in his eyes. A weakness she could exploit so that she had a chance to escape him but his eyes held strong. That pin had been haunting him since the day they met, and he wasn't going to give up when he believed he was about to discover her secret.

"This pin," she chocked, "this is a blood bound pin. To make the promise, the two within the agreement prick themselves with the pin, say their oath and fasten it to whoever agreed to keep the promise," Kim sighed. "It's been on all of my jackets ever since I was eight." Dean looked down on her. She knew there was something she was not telling him.

"So?" he scoffed. "What makes them so special?" Kim looked down.

"You break the promise, the wings of the angel fall off, the blood drains," she took a deep breath, "and you're never granted access into Heaven after you die," Kim spilled, her head hung. Dean didn't know what to say as he stared down on her in complete shock. He had seen the pin on her jacket hundreds of time, always a glance, but to make sure, Dean threw open her first jacket to see a glowing, blood red pin. Her promise had been kept and the blood and wings were still attached to the angle, and Kim was still getting into heaven to see her family.

"What did you promise, Kim?" Dean asked lowly, almost scared to hear the answer.

"I promised my dad the night the Hellhounds came to take him."

 _Her father had counted down the hours until this day arrived. The tenth anniversary of his greatest mistake, the day the Hellhounds were released to take him away. His two children would be orphaned, forced to beg and steal food until they were old enough to take care of themselves._

 _David had started getting the symptoms a few days beforehand. He could barely look at his daughters the last time before he left, their faces deformed and horrid each time he looked at the beautiful angels he had brought up. If he was lucky, maybe he'd get a few free seconds where he could stare into their eyes and imagine what they would be like when their older and all grown up, and the utter shame he felt for not being a better father._

 _The hours turned into minutes and David had sent his two daughters off on a simple food run, hoping that his deed would be done before they come back. Hoping that Kimberly's eight-year-old and Sarah's thirteen-year-old eyes didn't have to face the wrath of the Hellhound ripping at their father._

 _But Kimberly had turned around halfway through the walk to the supermarket when Sarah ordered her to go and check how many snacks they had to see if it was enough to last the week. She didn't really want to walk with Sarah anyway, especially when she started yelling at Kimberly for eating the last of the veggie chips the previous night. Kimberly had had enough of her older sister and with a childish pivot, she was on her march back to the motel. As she entered the motel, the door handle the height of her, she heard a scream from her father coming from inside. In a panic, Kimberly rushed into the room to try and find her father. She had pulled out her iron knife, which at the time was as big as her forearm just in case, but as she walked in she couldn't see her father and neither any threat._

 _Kimberly heard a scream coming from behind a door not far into the motel. Kimberly stalked her way towards the door her father was hiding behind and softly knocked on it._

 _"Dad?" Kimberly asked in a small voice. "What-" Before she could finish her sentence, her father's hand wrapped around the door and pulled her in._

 _"What are you doing here, Kimberly? I told you to get the food with Sarah," her dad said firmly. His face straight. He couldn't look her in the eyes and Kimberly shunned herself as her father averted their gaze._

 _"I-"_

 _"Doesn't matter now," he said, panicking. Kimberly had never seen him so frightened before, he would flinch randomly, and it scared her. Frantically, he reached into his pocket and pulled out an angel pin, the body of the angel was a creamy pearly white._

 _Without explaining, David pricked his finger and grabbed Kimberly's small hand in his and forced the pin into her skin. A drop of blood spurted from her finger as the mixture of her blood and her father's swirled together in the pin, forming the once white body to morph into a blood red._

 _"Promise me, Kimberly, promise me that no matter what, no matter the situation, you will never make a deal with any supernatural creature. No demons, no angels, none," David said forcefully, looking at the pin rather than his daughter's eyes, afraid they wouldn't be hers. Kimberly stammered for a bit, unsure of what was happening or what she was promising._

 _"Uh.."_

 _"Promise me!" he screamed at her and she flinched back slightly._

 _"I promise," Kimberly stammered out and without hesitation, David forced the pin through her shirt and fastened it on securely. Kimberly looked up into his father's eye, although he would not look back, and saw a single breath of relief._

 _He had finally protected both of his daughters and ever more so past his death. She saw all of her childhood memories in his eyes as he smiled slightly, and just as his fingers gently left the pin, the door to the room flew open, the salt line Kimberly hadn't seen at first was blown away, and the memories in his eyes were replaced by terror._

 _She watched as her father fell to the ground, screaming and_ writhing _. Claws from creatures she could not see tore through his shirt, ripping his flesh. Blood poured from his open wound and she wanted to help, but she was too scared to move. His body was thrown about, thrashed and ripped. Flaps of his flesh torn from his body and gruesome skin ripped from his bones._

 _He begged and wept and screamed in pain, all of his energy drained from him as Kimberly watched, only a few feet away, as his body turned motionless and his eyes turned solid and lifeless._

"I promised him I wouldn't make a deal with any supernatural creature," Kim whispered. "No angles, no demons, none." Dean stayed still and looked at Kim. She could see how worthless she felt in her watery glaze over her eyes.

"You better keep that promise, Kim," Dean said lowly, his eyes meeting her sad ones as she relived her last memory of her father.

"Well, the pin's not broken, is it?" she asked, gesturing to the fact that her promise was still kept. Dean looked at her seriously, seeing as she didn't take this sincerely. Kim nodded her head rolled her eyes. "Trust me, if I haven't do it by now I won't be doing it at all." Dean nodded, believing her.

"We need you, Kim." She rolled her eyes and ripped herself from his grip, harder than the first time.

"No you don't," Kim spat once again, staring him dead in the eyes. He looked down o her and swallowed a lump in his throat.

"No," he said, "we don't need you. I do." He stepped closer to her, so that their bodies were touching slightly, just a gentle brush. "Okay? I need you. And if you leave now, I don't know what I'm going to do," he continued, looking down on her, his voice deep as he stared into her eyes, they hadn't broken eye contact as he leaned closer to her.

"The powers are just a bonus," he smirked. Kim scoffed a laugh before her smirk morphed into a sorrowful expression. "What?" Dean asked as he saw her expression. She smiled slightly and scoffed at herself.

"What if I can't do it?" she asked slowly. "What if I never gain control?"

"You will; don't worry," he said and Kim sighed.

"Don't have so much faith in me," she said seriously and Dean sighed.

"We're trying to find the Colt," Dean said. "It will be fine." She sighed and nodded, pulling herself away.

"I still screwed up," she breathed and Dean pulled her closer.

"We all did."

•※•

The Impala roared down the country road as Dean drove in a panic. The whole night, the three of them drove and as the sun rose from behind the horizon, they were close to their destination. Kim sat in the back seat. This was the first hunt they would have been on since she found out what she was, and although she now is aware of what she is, she is no step closer to figuring out how to control those powers.

She spent all of her spare time researching Goddess's and how they were made and the abilities they possess. As she read online, she started to feel like she was researching for another case; just another monster they had to kill. She sighed as she scrolled through her fiftieth website that spat out utter bullshit about her abilities or were talking about creatures such as Tricksters or Pagan Gods, but she wasn't like them. Her abilities were different, less limited and more mortiferous.

The more she concentrated on her abilities, the more unpredictable they became. Everything just seemed to be getting out of hand quicker than Kim had time for and she just needed a hunt to distract her, where she could use her old-fashioned knives and guns.

The Impala screeched to a stop on the side of the road as the passed a sign saying 'Welcome to The Pineview Hotel'.

They pull up and jump out of the Impala, running for the back off the car to gather their weapons when Dean suddenly stopped, looking confused. In front of them was a line up of identical Chevy Impala's, just like Baby.

"Hey. Come on," Sam said as Dean gathered his things slowly and followed Kim and Sam as they ran to the hotel where they met Chuck Shurley pacing back and forth at the bottom of some wooden stairs, leading to the hotel.

"Chuck!" Sam called out to him as the three of them rushed to his nervous side. "There you are."

"Guys?" Chuck asked surprised, wondering why they were there. Kim looked down on him and furrowed her eyebrows, a blade and gun in her waistband.

"Don't look so surprised. What's the matter?" she asked, looking around for any danger, but the place seemed pretty calm and relaxed.

"Nothing's the matter. Why are you here?" Chuck asked, looking between them.

"You told us to come," Dean said as Chuck furrowed his eyebrows.

"Ah, no I didn't."

"Yeah you did, you texted me. This address, life or death situation. Any of this ringing a bell?" Sam asked as he looked to Chuck, raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't send you a text," Chuck explained, looking between them and the three of them groaned.

"We drove all night!" Dean hollered.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand what could..." he stopped for a second and sighed. "Oh no."

"Oh no, what?" Kim asked, looking at him carefully. A high pitched squeal erupted from the top of the stairs and all heads shot towards the noise. Kim's hand flew to her gun when she heard the noise, but quickly retreated when she saw an enthusiastic Becky running down the stairs.

"Sam! You made it!" she squealed in happiness and Kim held back a laugh and leaned over to Dean.

"Well, I guess that solves the mystery of 'who sent the text'." Kim scoffed as she watched Becky sprint to Sam and almost jump in his arms.

"Oh, ah, Becky, right?" Sam asked, looking at her awkwardly.

"Oh, you remembered. You've been thinking about me," she said as her voice lowered. Sam stuttered awkwardly, not sure what to say. "It's okay, I can't get you out of my head either." She smiled up at him.

"Becky, did you take my phone?" Chuck asked seriously.

"I just borrowed it from your pants," she explained, barely taking her eyes off Sam.

"Becky..." Chuck sighed, shaking his head in embarrassment.

"What? They're going to want to see it!" she said.

"See what?" the brothers of them asked in sync.

"Oh My God. I love it when they talk at the same time!" she squealed, looking at them with a face full of excitement. She couldn't even try to control her joy as a guy walked into the top of the stairs and looked down on the bunch of them, a clipboard in his hand.

"Hey, Chuck? Come on pal, it's showtime," the man said before retreating back inside. Becky squealed once against and Kim cringed ta the noise as she ran upstairs in excitement. The three of them looked to each other before turning to Chuck for an explanation.

"I'm sorry. For everything," he said before turning to walk upstairs, the three of them following after sharing a concerned look. They followed Chuck up the stairs and into the hotel foyer, where they were struck by all the people in there, dressed exactly like them. They stood at the doorway looking at the people as they conversed and chatted, all dressed the same. People wore long wigs to match Sam and Kim's hair while wearing plaid and three layers of jackets. They wore amulets that matched Dean's around their neck and pin's that matched Kim's.

A chubby man walked past the three of them and smiled, laughing.

"Hey Dean, looking good," he said smiling, holding a beer.

"Who the hell are you?" Dean asked, furrowing his eyebrows at him. He was wearing the exact same clothes as Dean all the way down to the amulet.

"I'm Dean too. Duh," he scoffed and looked to Kim. He looked at her for a bit before turning back to Dean. "Congrats on bringing a 'Kim' along. Not many girls come to conventions." With that, he walked away. Kim furrowed his eyebrows at him as he walked as a man dressed as a Scarecrow waddled up.

"Uh-oh. It's Sam, Kim and Dean. I'm in trouble now," he fake scarecrow hollered, a soda can in his hand. "Have fun you three. Aaaah!" he fake scared them and laughed before jingling his scythe and walking away.

"What?" Dean asked as they looked around. People were dressed up as every monster they had fought, mostly for the year before Kim had arrived where they fought the Scarecrow, Bloody Mary and some clowns even floated around the room. A skinny woman dressed as Bobby and a guy dressed as Ash, but his mullet and t-shirt.

Tables were filled with Chuck's books that people could buy, along with pieces of merchandise like Impala coffee mugs.

"Becky, what is this?" Sam asked, looking around the room. The three of them horrified.

"It's awesome! A supernatural convention, the first ever," she spluttered with excitement. Sam's expression fell into a bitchface as he looked around the room, unamused.

•※•

A small crowd stood in front of a stage as the Convention Manager stepped up to the microphone. Kim and the boys stood at the back, watching the stage with their arms crossed. These people found amusement in their torture, and Becky invited them to watched them laugh. As Kim watched, she could only think about the expressions on their faces when they found out that it was meant to be, one of the brothers killing the other, or the fact that Kim was part God and was meant to help stop the rising of Lucifer.

"Welcome to the first annual Supernatural convention. At 3.45 in the Magnolia room we have the panel, 'Frightened little boy, the secret life of Dean'. And at 4.30 there's the 'Homoerotic subtext of Supernatural.' Oh, and of course the big hunt starts at 7 pm sharp," he said and there was a cheer and applaud from the audience. "But right now, right now I'd like to introduce the man himself. The creator, the writer of the supernatural books. The one, the only, Carver Edlund!"

The three of them stood expressionless as they watched Chuck nervously walk up the mic on the stage, his shoulders hunched and a small smile on his lips. He knew he was a dead man the second he saw the real Sam, Dean and Kim walk up to him outside.

"Okay. Okay good, this isn't nearly as awkward as I..." he choked, clearing his throat before taking a long, procrastinating sip of water from his bottle. "Okay. Uh...ahem. So I guess...questions?" Every single hand rose except for Sam, Dean and Kim's.

"This is not gonna be good," Kim whispered as they listened to the first question.

"Uh...you?" Chuck said pointing to a skinny young man in the front.

"Hey, Mr Edlund. Uh... big fan. I was just wondering, where'd you come up with Sam, Kim and Dean in the first place?" he asked and Chuck looked to the three of them in the back, all interested to hear his reply.

"Oh, ah, I...it just came to me," Chuck replied nervously. Dean pursed his lips and tilted his head back as hands shoot in the air again.

"Okay. Yeah. The hook man," Chuck said pointing to the man.

"Oh yeah. Why in every fight scene, Sam, Kim and Dean are having their gun knocked away by the bad guy? Why don't they keep it on some kind of bungee?" the man asked in a thick German accent. Kim huffed a laugh as Sam looked interested in the idea, Dean just looked pissed.

"I... yeah, I really don't know," Chuck shrugged.

"Ja, follow up. Why can't Sam and Dean be telling that Ruby is evil? I mean she is clearly manipulating Sam into some kind of moral lapse and Kim even told them about how she stole her father's knife. It's obvious, nien?" Kim still held back a laugh as she looked to Sam who now looked pissed as Dean looked interested.

"I did tell you," Kim said with a small smile as Sam rolled his eyes.

"Shut up," he hissed. Becky looked pissed, even more so when she marched down the row of chairs towards the man, shooting him death glares.

"Hey! If you don't like the books don't read em Fritz," she yelled as Chuck tried to hush her calmly.

"Okay, okay, just... okay, it's okay. So, next question." Again, all hands shoot up. "Yeah, you."

"Yeah, at the end of the last book, Dean goes to hell. So, what happens next? Do we find out what monster Kim is?" the fan asked and Kim's smirk quickly dropped. There was a silence as Chuck looked nervously at the back.

"Oh. Well, there lies an announcement, actually. You're all going to find out. Thanks to a wealthy Scandinavian investor, we're going to start publishing again." The room erupted in cheers, but the three of them at the back stood deadly still, no amusement at all. Chuck gulped on stage as he looked at them.

•※•

Sam, Kim and Dean matched through the filled foyer of people eating and chatting, talking about Supernatural, laughing at their experiences and trying to sympathise with their heartache. They marched over to Chuck who was chatting with Becky. Kim intrusively grabbed Chuck's arm and pulled him up off the seat he was sitting on.

"Excuse us," she smiled falsely at Becky as she dragged Chuck away with the brothers, but she still followed.

"In case you haven't noticed, our plates are kind of full, okay?" Dean asked, looking Chuck straight in the eye. "Finding the Colt, hunting the devil. We don't have time for this crap," Dean spat at Chuck as he looked around at the playroom he had created of their lives. Becky gave Sam as suggestive look which he tried to ignore.

"Hey, I didn't call you!" he justified and Kim rolled her eyes.

"The books, you moron," Kim hissed.

"Why are you publishing more books?" Sam asked.

"Um... for food and shelter?" he said as if it was kind of obvious by the living position they had seen him in, but he was preaching to the choir and the choir could not care less.

"Who gave you the rights to our life story," Dean asked threateningly.

"An Archangel and I didn't want it!" he continued.

"Well, the deal's off, okay. No more books. Our lives are not for," he looked at Becky, "public consumption."

"Ah... Becky. Would you excuse us for just a second?" Chuck asked and she nodded enthusiastically, walking a few steps away as they moved to the hallway.

"Do you guys know what I do for a living?" Chuck asked.

"Yeah Chuck, we know," Sam sighed.

"Then could you tell me? Cause I don't, all right? I'm not a good writer. I've got no marketable skills. I'm not some hero who can just hit the road and fight monsters, okay? Until the world ends, I gotta live, all right? And the Supernatural books are all I've got. What else do you want me to do?" Chuck ranted, but a woman's scream caught their attention. Instantly, the three of them charge towards the noise, Kim instinctively reaching for her gun.

"No, guys... wait!" Chuck screamed after them, luckily, Kim stopped and looked to him in alarm as the two brothers continued running.

"What now?" she asked and Chuck sighed, looking down embarrassed. "What?" she jeered.

"It's the LARPing," he explained with a sigh and tore her hand away from the gun. She looked at the direction the boys were going and sighed. She should probably follow them and tell them it's not important, but this was the first time she was alone with Chuck, and with the new information revealed to her that she was a Goddess, she believed she was entitled to some answers she saw sure he could give her.

"They'll figure it out soon enough," Kim said to Chuck as she walked closer to him, he backed up slowly as she stalked over to him. Her eyes squinted at him as he swallowed a nervous lump in his throat.

"You knew the Trickster was Gabriel, didn't you?" she asked, walking towards him and he gulped. His blue eyes and scraggly beard looked at her as she got closer. "You knew I was a Goddess," she said, a crooked smile on her lips that was ghostly faint. It was the type of smile that just appeared on someone when they were furious, and it was frightening to look at.

"Well, at first I thought you were a Demigod," he chuckled nervously, "but a Demigod is a child born of a God and a human; but when Gabriel put God's grace in your unborn form, it combined with your growing soul," Chuck explained.

"What about the pains I used to get?"

"The pains are um... the pains are... God's grace is very powerful and your human body... struggled to contain all the power. When you started using your ability more often, the pains subsided, like releasing pressure... kind of."

Kim scoffed, her eyes falling from Chucks as she listened to him. A small, sad smile played on her lips before she looked up to him. She rubbed her eyes tiredly, a sigh escaping her lips.

"I just... I just don't get it. This has ruined my life. My entire life has been ruined because of this and I still have to go and do God's dirty work because it's my planet that's going to be destroyed," Kim spat.

"He loves humans, Kim, he would never do anything to hurt them. He must have his reasons," Chuck explained.

"His reasons can suck my ass for all I care. He doesn't care what happens to Earth. If he did, he'd come down and fix this shit himself," Kim huffed, getting more and more frustrated.

"He does care, Kim. That's why you exist," Chuck continued, a lot calmer than she expected him to be.

"I don't get it. The worlds ending! If he cared, the bastard come down and fix this himself!" There was a silence after she spoke, she didn't really expect an answer form Chuck. "Sorry, I'm yelling at you. It's not your fault."

Chuck could see the uncontrolled fury in her eyes as she stared at the man that held her secrets, but before she was overtaken by anger, a realisation fell over her. Something she hadn't thought to ask Gabriel.

"Does that mean I can't get into Heaven?" she asked. Chuck watched Kim expression morph into fear and distress and it worried him. He had watched Kim's life from the moment she met the Winchesters and he had never seen her so mortified. He watched her heart drop and her skin pale, almost as if her heart had stopped beating. Her eyes looked into his desperately, hoping she was wrong. She had worked so hard to keep that promise. She had to watch her family die and not be tempted by the crossroads in order to keep that promise. In order to see them again. She had put so much heartache and pressure on herself with a chance it was useless.

"Oh no, you still get into Heaven," Chuck smiled. "You see, you still have a soul, it had just changed... dramatically," he explained and she let out a sigh, a wide smile on her lips. She smiled enthusiastically, a sudden bounce in her step as she sighed.

"Oh thank God," she sighed. "I thought I would never see them again," she whispered to herself, a small smile on her lips as she turned around, going to find Sam and Dean.

"See who?" Chuck asked and Kim turned around to him.

"Hm?" she asked, ignoring his question and walking to find the brothers. Kim walked into the foyer where she found Sam and Dean on the other side of the room, staring down all the fake FBI agent that lipped their badges open like amateurs. Kim sauntered over to them, squeezing past all the people pretend to investigate.

"What's happening?" Kim asked, a small smile on her lips.

"It was a sham. They're LARPing. Where did you go?" Dean asked Kim as she looked around, still hoping on her feet.

"Just talked to Chuck," she smirked and Dean rolled his eyes.

"Talked," he scoffed, walking off as they listened to the Con Manager speak about the fake murder.

"Well yes Agents Lennon and McCartney, as manager of this fine establishment I can assure you that it is indeed haunted. This building was once an orphanage, run by mean old Leticia Gore. 100 years ago this very night, Miss Gore went insane and butchered four little boys before killing herself. Now folks say that the souls of those poor little boys are trapped here and the evil spirit of Miss Gore punishes them to this very day," he said and the three of them stood in the background, not really listening.

"Well, that's just about all the community theatre I can take," Dean scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, this cannot get any weirder," Sam said, looking around at the people that pretended to be them as they continued to wonder why anyone would want a life like theirs.


	59. Chapter Fifty-Seven

They sat at the bar, drink in had as Kim leant against the bar, Sam on one side of her and Dean on the other. A small smirk graced her lips as she sculled her second shot and for the first time in a very, very long time. Kim wasn't drinking to drown her racing thoughts and crushing weight to save the world. Admittedly, she did drink a few bottled the night Gabriel revealed himself and spilled all the little secrets, but so did Dean. Seven bottles were shared between them as Sam sat, having a few drinks himself. Not a word was said until someone passed out first, Kim forgot who did.

No, she was drinking in a toast to herself. A creature with a very screwed up soul, but would still be greeted at the gates of Heaven at the end of the road. So she had a drink, and then another, and then another for good measure and as she finished her third shot, the once increasing annoyance of people dressed up as her or as the Winchesters around her slowly subsided.

A few guys had come up to her, most of them dressed as Dean. She had one Sam approach her and even a clown, all offering her drinks and cheesy pickup lines. With a slightly cocky smirk, she politely shut them down. It was unusual that a girl would be into the unknown series and especially rare when one decided to come along and join a convention.

Kim sat on the side of the bar, fiddling as she watched Dean flirt with some girl dressed up as a dead girl. She would see his eyes flicker to her every now and then, to make sure she was watching. Kim rolled her eyes and looked away, flicking her pin on her jacket.

"For the last time I'm not making this up, okay? She's upstairs, a real live dead ghost," a guest said nervously, pleading for someone to believe him. Kim furrowed her eyebrows at the tall, skinny man as he talked, she believed his name was Adam. All three of them had noticed what he had said and they wandered over to him.

"I'm sure it was just one of the ghost actors," one of his friends shrugged.

"Who beat the hell out of me and then vanished?" Alex scoffed. They walked over to him.

"You saw something?" Sam asked and Alex turned to him and looked up with a scoff.

"This isn't part of the game, jerk," Alex huffed before turning back to his friend. "Look, I'm getting out of here and you should do the same."

"What do you think?" Sam asked as they looked at Alex march away, furious.

"I don't think that guy's a good enough an actor to be acting."

•※•

Sam and Dean walk past Alex as he continues his spiel in the foyer as they head to the front desk. A woman behind there looked at them as rolled her eyes.

"Excuse us, mind if we ask you a few questions?" Dean asked as Kim lent forward on the desk, looking at her deeply.

"Look, I don't have time to play Star Wars, guys. Go ask the guy in the ascot," she said lazily and Dean looked to Kim for a second before she slammed a fifty dollar note on the bench and slid it toward her.

"Humour us," she said. "Any of that stuff true? You know, the deaths and haunting's?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at her. The woman looked up at them and looked around before answering.

"We generally don't like to publicise this to... normal people... but yeah. 1909 this place was called 'Gore Orphanage'. Miss Gore, killed four boys with a butchers knife, then offed herself," she explained.

"And is tonight really her anniversary?" Dean asked and the manager nodded.

"Yep, guess your convention folks want authenticity," she nodded, slightly scoffing.

"There been any sightings?" Sam asked and the woman nodded again.

"Yep, over the years. A few maids have quit saying they heard the boys or saw them. A janitor even saw Miss Gore once." Kim nodded at her.

"Any murder weapon? Or do you know where Miss Gore carved up the kids?" Kim asked as the woman rolled her eyes. She honestly couldn't believe all three of them were playing this stupid 'game'.

"Look, I don't want you stomping all over the joint. A lot of this place is off limits to nerds," she huffed and Kim raised her eyebrow, shocked.

"Okay, harsh," she huffed before sliding over another fifty.

"The attic," she replied, taking the note and shoving it in her pocket. The three of them nodded and Kim removed herself from the desk and slowly turned, seeing two guests names Damien and Barnes listening in behind them.

•※•

"The EMF is going nuts," Sam announced as they walked through the dark and dusty attic. The sound of the EMF reader rang through the silent room as hey walked. Dust particles ticked their noses as they stepped carefully around objects and past creepy, old doors.

"Great, we have a real ghost on our hands and Tweedledee and Tweedledum are pretending to be you guys," Kim fake laughed. "This is gonna be great." There was a silence as the three of them continued searching. Their flashlights were out and Kim could see the endless amount of dust particles float past the light. They flash their lights in every corner.

"My mommy loves me," a young boy said as he held his face. He was pale and old, a child form centuries ago. He vanished just as quickly as he appeared and the three of them spun around to see where he want, and in another corner, he sat.

"I said my mommy loves me," he said a bit louder and the three of them watched the child. Sam nodded slowly.

"I'm sure she does," Sam replied and the child.

"My mommy loves me this much!" he screamed, moving his hand to reveal his face was partially scalped, and once again, he was gone.

•※•

They returned to the bar after seeing the ghost in the attic and started researching. Sam was pacing along an empty area, the phone held to his ear as he called some people that might have an idea of what was happening. Dean and Kim sat at a table, researching on their laptops.

"All right. So that was a guy with the County Historical Society," Sam said as she walked up to them at the table.

"And?"

"Not only did Leticia Gore butcher four boys, but one of them was her own son," Sam said and Kim sighed in disgust.

"Her son?" Kim asked as she cringed.

"Yeah. According to the police at the time, she scalped the kid," Sam explained.

"Oh that's it, I'm gonna deep fry this bitch extra crispy. Dude say where she was buried?" Dean asked but Sam just shook his head. Kim sighed and ran her hands through her hair before returning to her laptop to see if she could find any information on where she was buried.

Kim typed on her laptop when the three of them overheard a conversation of Damien and Barnes from another table.

"Check it out. There's the orphanage, here's the carriage house, and right there... cemetery," Barnes said in character, playing Sam. He was a tall man, but not as tall as Sam but he was practically wearing what Sam worse the day before.

"You think that's where Leticia's planted?" Damien asked, his voice low and husky trying to replicate Dean's. Barnes shrugged as the three of them walked over to them. Sam looked over at them and saw that they were holding a map, a very old looking map that was too delicate and dusty to be a prop.

"It's worth a shot." Sam reached out to touch the man, looking at it curiously, but Barnes snatched it away before he cud grab it. "Hey, hey!"

"Hey, do you mind?" Damien asked and Kim looked at it as Damien took it off of Barnes. Kim nodded when she turned to Sam as he looked down at her.

"It's real," she said. "At least a century old. You can see the marking around the border, and how faint it is." She looked at it again but Damien shielded it away.

"There is a cemetery on the grounds," Sam nodded.

"Where'd you get that?" Dean asked Damien and he rolled his eyes.

"It's called a game pal. It ain't called charity," he gibbered and Dean sighed at the ignorant person in front of him. He couldn't believe he had to deal with them.

"Yeah right. Gimme the map Chuckles," Dean scoffed.

"Yeah well, you're the Chuckles, Chuckles. Besides, Dean don't listen to nobody," Damien said, straightening his back as he pulled out a plastic gun from his jacket pocket. Kim held back a smirk as Damien aimed the gun at Dean and Kim watched him, entertained. Not only was it a fake and pathetic gun, but his form was also wrong, he was holding the gun incorrectly and Kim could think of several moves that could disarm him that instant, one being just to pull out the real gun she had in her waistband.

"Dean! Cool it," Barnes said to Damien in character, as Sam would normally do.

"Dean!" Sam scolded as Dean rolled his eyes and reached for his real gun.

"What! They're freakin' annoying," Dean justified before taking his hand away from his gun.

"Look, guys. We all wanna find the bones right? We just thought... it would go faster if we all worked together," Sam said to them, pretending to play the game with them. Damien and Barnes share a stern look, mimicking the one Sam and Dean normally share.

"Ahem. We... ah... we get the sizzler gift card," Damien said, squinting at them to see if they would still agree and Dean rolled his eyed at them.

"Fine," Dean said.

"And we get to be Sam and Dean." Sam and Dean exchanged a look and Kim scoffed. Damien's head turned to her as she huffed at him, her arms crossed, and before they could answer, he upped the ante. "And Kim's with us." His bargain was getting a bit out of hand for Dean.

"That's useless, we're sticking together anyway," Dean scoffed.

"Yeah, but, she walks beside us, like in the books," Barnes said, out of character and Kim rolled her eyes.

"Oh, no, she's not going with you morons. You'll get her killed," Dean scoffed and Kim turned to him.

"What? I can't take care of myself?" she asked him, raising an eyebrow. Dean looked to her as she waited for his response and he scoffed and pulled her arm to him so that they were chest to chest. He bent down so that his lips were gently against her are, she could feel his breath teasing her.

"You have uncontrollable power, do you remember that?" Dean asked and Kim rolled her eyes, trying to pull away getting his point, but he pulled her closer and she slammed against his chest, his lips still at her ear. "Don't want them finding out the rest of the story before the books come out, do we? Finding out Kim's a Goddess is kind of a massive spoiler."

"Fine."

"Yes," Damien whispered to himself as he looked to Kim. "If it makes you feel better, you do a very good portrayal of Kim." Kim huffed and smirked.

"I sure hope so."

•※•

Damien and Barnes walk along the footpath sneakily, Kim beside them walking extremely casually as if to make a point to the boys beside her that there was no point in their behaviour. The Winchesters walked behind them, rolling their eyes at the two ahead and Kim would look back at them in amusement.

"Hey, Rufus, Bobby, would you hurry it up?" Damien said, turning around to them before looking back ahead. Kim could feel Dean rolling his eyes as he stared straight ahead.

"Are you all right?" Sam asked Dean, who was staring don the boys.

"I'm trying to be," Dean said grumpily.

"So where were we?" Barnes asked Damien who sent him a look. Barnes quickly straightened himself out, getting back into his character. "Right, got it. Ahem," he switched into his character. "Why are we even here Dean? Are you just following dad's footsteps like a good little soldier? You that desperate for approval?" Barnes asked, imitating Sam.

"This isn't you talking Sam," Damien said back, in character. Kim huffed and slowly sunk back in line with the Winchester as the other two occupied themselves with their role play. Dean turned to Sam, who was in the middle and gave him a look which said, 'how much do we have to put up with?'

It was a good question, Kim wasn't having the greatest time of her life either.

"See that's the difference between you and me. I got a mind of my own. I'm not pathetic," Barnes said to Damien, still pretending to be Sam. The two boys looked to Kim, waiting for her to say something when she realised she was in line with the Winchesters.

"We had a deal," Damien said to her and she looked at him lowly and she could see him visibly get frightened. Rolling her eyes and ignoring the glances from the brothers, she sulked back into their line and looked to them. They waited for her to join their conversation.

"Alright, that's enough," she said in a strict monotone, hoping the boys would find her acting revolting and forget to ask her to join next time. Kim huffed as she walked with the boys, missing out on what the Winchesters were talking about.

"All right, you know what? That's it. That is it!" Dean huffed and stopped walking, his voice getting louder as he got angrier. The three ahead stopped and looked at them.

"What's wrong Bobby?" Damien asked and Kim knew now wasn't the time to pretend to play their stupid role play. Kim watched as Dean stood still, so furious that he couldn't even speak for a moment.

"I'm not Bobby, okay? You're not Sam. You're not Dean," Dean yelled at them, pointing to them viciously. "What is wrong with you? Why in the hell would you choose to be these guys?" Dean asked angrily and the boys were taken back a bit, looking at him innocently.

"Because we're fans," Barnes said simply, his voice changed completely as he switched out of character and looked into Dean's eyes. "Like you."

"No. I am not a fan, okay. Not fans. In fact, I think that the Dean, Kim and Sam story sucks. It is not fun. It is not entertaining. It is a river of crap that would send most people howling to the nut house!" Dean yelled, spitting through his teeth. "So you listen to me. Their pain is not for your amusement. I mean do you think they enjoy being treated like... like circus freaks?" Dean spat at them and Damien looked a bot hocked before shrugging his eyebrows once.

"Uh... I don't think they care, because they're fictional characters!" Damien said loudly.

"Oh, they care," Dean spat. "Believe me. They care a lot." Dean stormed off down the path. He could no longer listen to them mock his story, his pain and misery as his life started to fall apart around him. The two boys looked to Sam with a 'WTF' look and Sam laughed nervously.

"He... uh... he takes the story really seriously."

•※•

The five of them stood in the cemetery as Sam, Dean and Kim looked around for the bones of the ghosts haunting the hotel. Kim wandered around the gravestones, shining her flashlight on the stones as the sun lowered and the sky darkened.

"I found the four boys," Dean said as they all met up.

"And here's Leticia Gore," Sam said and Kim nodded.

"Good, cause I couldn't find any." Dean looked up to see the other to tiptoeing around the gravestones, flashing their light on the ground as they walked around. Their actions were so dramatic that Kim started to question if they were just bad actors of if Chuck had really turned their life into some melodrama.

"Ah... what are you guys doing?" Kim asked them, furrowing her eyebrows.

"We're looking for bones genius. They gotta be around here somewhere," Damien said in character. Kim rolled her eyes at them and looked down.

"Okay. Generally, bones are in the ground," Dean said to them as if he was talking to a child. Sam dumped his duffel bag on the ground an leaned down to pull something out.

"Yeah, I know that. I just..." Damien watched as Sam pulled out a shovel and threw it to Kim, which she caught effortlessly. "Wait, hold on. Are you guys serious?"

"Deadly."

"We're not really digging up graves you guys, we're just playing a game," Barnes argued, looking to them with disgust.

"Trust us. You wanna win the game, right?"

•※•

"Do you want me to take over, again?" Kim asked Dean as he stood in the grave, digging. Everyone but Dean was outside the grave shining the lights down on him as he dug. Dean grunted in a response, his shovel hitting the coffin as he went for another swing. Dean bends down and heaved the casket open, to reveal an awful stink and a skeleton. Kim turned to the boys when she heard them gag, both of them astonished at how they didn't find it as disgusting as they did.

"That's not a plastic skeleton. That's a... that's a skeleton, skeleton," Damien said in horror as he looked at the body.

"You just dug up a real grave," Barnes gasped and he looked to them in horror.

"Yeah," Dean said from the grave, still grumpy about their act earlier.

"You guys are nuts," Damien gagged, not looking at them, his eyes fixed on the decayed body.

"I thought you guys wanted to be hunters," Sam said.

"Hunters aren't real, man. This isn't real," Damien explained in horror as he started to freak out and the boys quickly turn to walk away.

"Ouch," Kim whispered under her breath, scoffing at their comments.

"My God. You guys have seriously lost your grip on this," Barnes said, turning around to face them again when he froze. Kim and Sam looked at them, waiting for them to say something but they just stood there, completely frozen as they stared at something behind them.

"What?"

"Naughty, naughty, naughty!" an elderly woman taunted from behind them. Her voice was rickety and grim, a screech of death. Before Sam had the chance to turn around a defend himself, he was sent flying across the cemetery with the ghosts wicked backhand.

Dean pulled himself out of the grave with a grunt of effort and started rummaging through the duffel bag as Damien and Barnes screeched in horror and turned to run, but in the race to escape, Barnes tripped.

"Dean, my knife!" Kim called to him, and instantly, Dean threw her the iron knife she was asking for, and she regretted not keeping it in her waistband like she normally did. Kim caught it with one hand and instantly sent a swift swing towards the ghost, cutting her through the stomach. She disappeared for a second, the cemetery falling into a peaceful silence for a second before she appeared behind her and sent her flying head first into a gravestone. She fell limp as blood poured from her wound.

Gore, the old woman that haunted the house had risen to save her course from getting torched and started to terrorise Damien and Barnes as they tried to escape.

"Naughty, naughty, naughty!" Gore screamed, pushing her hand on their chests and they began screaming. Kim waddled to her feet, blood pouring down her face and she watched Dean light the course on fire.

The whole thing was a blur. She saw a fuzzy explosion erupt from the wonky grave and she watched in similar blurriness as Gore burst into similar flames. Kim swallowed a lump in her that as her head started to throb, and she couldn't even wipe the blood away from her eyes as it dripped untidily over her.

She went to take a step forward, but her feet were unsteady and uneven, falling on her ankle as her step collapsed. She laid on the floor, unable to do much else as she felt a strong hand grip her and pull her up.

"She took a hard hit," Dean's familiar voice said as she felt a warm chest held against her.

"That- that's real blood," one of the boys said as they watched Kim get picked up by Dean.

"Real enough for you?" Dean asked, panting. The boys looked to each other, a look of horror shared between them.

•※•

Kim woke up to a ringing noise in her ear and a vibration in her pocket. She groaned, lifting her head as her laid down on the back seat of the Impala, the comfortable leather was making it hard for Kim to lift her head and reach her phone.

She groaned as she pulled it to her ear. All her bones were aching and her head was fuzzy, her vision was blurry and she had dried blood stuck to her face. Her ears were aching from the noise as she answered the phone as she just woke up from a thirteen-hour sleep.

"What?" she asked Dean sleepily, she eyes falling closed.

"We made a mistake, Kim. The three orphans are causing terror in here and Ms Gore was the only thing keeping them straight. They've locked all the doors and we can't get out, you need to burn their bones," Dean said as Kim listened, but she didn't really absorb much. She sat in silence for a minute before responding.

"Wait," she said, disregarding everything he had just said as she tried her best to concentrate and wrap her head around everything that just happened. "Why am I in the Impala?" she asked, looking around.

"We don't have time for this, Kim," Dean sighed but Kim stayed sent. Not because she was waiting for an answer, but because it mostly hurt to speak. "We put you in the car while we told Chuck to stop publishing but on the way out, the doors locked on us, okay? Just burn the bones."

"What?" she crocked and Dean groaned.

"Kim, we need you." Kim nodded and sat up, and instantly regretted it. A rush threw her off balance as she looked around, a violent pain in her head.

"Don't worry, I'm on it," she said sickly before hanging up. Dean felt immensely guilty for putting all this pressure on Kim when she could barely walk straight, but one man was already dead and she was the only one who wasn't locked in the hotel.

Kim blinked a couple of times, pressing her eyes shut firmly to help them adjust, but her brain was fuzzy and blinking wasn't going to do anything. Groaning, she sluggishly moved to the door and pulled herself out of the car and gathered her weapons. The trip to the truck was challenging enough, she wondered if she would even make it to the cemetery.

Pressing herself to the car for balance, she walked in no particular direction with no map in hand. She had to go by memory, and she wasn't even conscious for the trip back. Groaning as she stepped, her feet unbalanced as she accidentally put all her weight on her ankle.

"What Goddess still gets migraines?" Kim huffed as she straightened herself out, trying to snap herself out of it. She shook her head and took a few normal steps before the blaze of pain surged back, and as her foot dropped, so did she, falling to the floor.

She collapsed to the floor, her whole body weak. She looked up, but the world spun around her. Pushing past the pain, she stood to her feet and slowly took a step, which turned into an incoherent jog in hopefully the right direction, she tripped over small things on the ground she wasn't able to see properly but she continued to move until she fell onto the gates of the cemetery.

"About time," she cursed at herself. People were dying inside and Kim could only imagine Sam and Dean trying to hold off those silly LARPers as they tried to 'help' along with keeping everyone else safe; she pushed until it was physically impossible.

When she reached to tombs, she was almost crawling, her eyes were too weak to read the names on the stone and she couldn't reach to feel the engravings, but she did hear a sound of plundering footsteps heading towards her.

"Hey!" a voice called to her and Kim looked up from her kneeling position to the direction of the noise, and two very blurry figures stepped into her line of view. She knew them, but they weren't familiar and Kim took it upon herself to rule out the chance of it being Sam and Dean, rather Damien and Barnes. "How did you get here?"

Kim didn't answer, she barely had enough energy to figure out who was standing in front of her. Something was definitely wrong, she never had such symptoms from smashing her head, which hostilely happened too often.

"Just find their graves and dig them," Kim ordered, whipping her eyes. Maybe if she closed her eyes for a few minutes she would feel better. She let her eyelids fall over her eyes and she listened to the boys start to dig.

"Oh my God. Supernatural makes digging graves seem so easy. It's not though. I'm gonna throw up," Barnes said and Kim huffed

"Not fun, is it?" Kim huffed a laugh, her eyes still closed. "Just keep digging." As they started digging their last grave, Kim stood up, her vision still blurry but not as much as before and she wandered over to the boys, taking the shovel from one of their hand, she didn't know who, and started digging instead and they were surprised at how quickly she got it done.

Damien reached for his lighter excitedly as Kim threw fuel and salt on the bones. He started flicking the lighter ignition repeatedly but It doesn't flare and he groaned.

"How come Dean can always light the stupid thing on the first freaking try" Kim watched sloppily as he continued, eventually getting it to light and lit the bones of fire, an accomplished smirk on his lips.

•※•

Kim lent up against Dean as they stood in front of Barnes and Damien, outside the hotel as people got evacuated and the body had been removed. The three children ghost had caused a lot of havoc in the hotel while Kim an the boys burned their bones, and from what she heard, just in time.

Kim's sight had increased from then to now and she believed it would get even better with more rest. She had been exhausted and being knocked on the dead had just completely drained her. The lack of nutrients her body possessed just caused her symptoms to be greater than usual, and Kim finally understood what her body had been trying to tell her for months.

Dean had watched her destroy herself and he promised her that he would help her get back on track if she helped herself. With everything that was going on in their lives, self-care was the least of their problems but could make or break a fight.

"You know I gotta hand it to you guys. You really saved our asses back there. So ah, you know, thanks," Dean said to them as Kim nodded in response.

"Yeah, really appreciated," she continued.

"Guys, I don't even know your names," Dean said smilingly, slightly embarrassed.

"Oh. Well, I'm Barnes," the tall man said. "This is Damien. What's yours?" Dean looked to Kim for a moment, his eyes hard as they looked at each other before turning back to them.

"Dean. The real Dean and this is Kim. The real Kim," Dean explained, holding onto Kim as he introduced himself sternly. They wondered if they would except their answer, o brush it off as their characters, and after a moment of staring, the boys started to laugh.

"Ahhh, yeah right. Me too!" Damien laughed.

"Get the hell out of here Dean!" Barnes laughed. Both Dean and Kim looked disappointed for a second before smiling ghostly.

"Well, anyway. Thanks. Really," Dean said, going to turn away. They took a few steps, his grip tightened around Kim as they walked.

"You're wrong you know," Damien said from behind them. Dean furrowed his eyebrows and turned around to them.

"Sorry?"

"About Supernatural," he continued. "No offence but I'm not sure you get what the stories about," Damien continued and Dean looked at him, eyebrows raised before they both smirked.

"Is that so?" he asked, waiting to hear his explanation, a cocky smile on his lips. Dean knew his own life so much better than him. Dean couldn't sympathise with the man he talked to, and he knew that Damien couldn't sympathise with him.

"All right. In real life, he sells stereo equipment." Barnes smiled dishearteningly, embarrassed. "I fix copiers. Our lives suck. But to be Sam and Dean, to wake up every morning and save the world. To have a brother and a friend who would die for you. Well, who wouldn't want that?"

Dean looked down and nodded, his eyes filled with question.

"Maybe you got a point," Dean said nodding. "You know, you two don't make a bad team yourselves. How do you know each other anyway?"

"Oh. Well, we met online. Supernatural chat room," Barnes nodded.

"Oh. Well, it must be nice to get out of your parent's basement. Make some friends," Dean joked and Damien answered.

"We're more than friends." Damien took Barnes hand in his, their fingers interlocking. "We're partners." Barnes dropped his head on Damien's shoulder and Kim smiled slightly.

"Oh. Wow. Ahem," Dean coughed. "Howdy partners."

"Howdy," Barnes smiled and Kim and Dean turn away, leaving the two of them in each others company. Dean placed Kim against the Impala and she groaned slightly. "We're getting you a burger." Kim huffed and looked ahead, waiting for Sam to finish his conversation so that they could leave.

"You okay?" Sam asked Dean as he walked up to the Impala, taking Dean out of his lost thoughts. Dean looked to Sam and smiled slightly, pursing his lips.

"Yeah, you know? I think I'm good."

"Well, you're not going to believe it, but I got a lead on the Colt," Sam continued and Kim looked to him sharply.

"What?"

"Long story, I'll tell you on the way?" Sam explained and the two of them nod.

"What are we waiting for?" Dean asked and they get in, slamming the Impala doors behind them and cruse out of the parking lot.


	60. Chapter Fifty-Eight

Tension had risen in the car. The air was thick and still, a sticky texture settling in the hot car. Everyone was uneasy as the shuffled uncomfortably in their seats. Sam sat in shotgun while Dean sat in the driver's seat, Kim taking her usual position in the back with her eyebrows knotted frustratedly and her head shielded for Dean's constant looks as he glanced over to her.

Her hand was brought up to her neck as she played and twisted her necklace to soothe her irritation towards Dean. He was so stubborn. He never listened to her.

Sam had told the two of them on the car ride home about the what he had heard about the Colt. Apparently, Bela didn't hand the Colt over to Lilith in an attempt to salvage her life; no, she gave the Colt to a specific demon, King of the Crossroads; Crowley.

Obviously, Dean had no interest in finding the Colt, they had a Goddess on their side. A Goddess who's power was unlimited, a creature as omnipotent as God, and she was their friend. Why would they waste their time looking for a weapon with limited bullets when they had a source of power which dominated the other? She was a gift to them, someone to set their troubles straight, who could send Lucifer himself back to Hell with as little effort as it took to fire a bullet. Dean had too much confidence in Kim and Kim lacked the confidence she needed to get the job done.

"No, Dean! You don't get it! I can't do this! I couldn't do it before and I can't do it now," she seethed. "I won't succeed because I have to!" Kim barked. He didn't understand what it was like to have the power right underneath his fingertips and not be able to use it. It's having motivation and idea to write a novel or create a song, but not the talent. It was having the world in her palm, a world that was filled with perfection, where the light was always bright and the everyone lived harmoniously and it was impossible to obtain. Kim had never had the control Dean through she had on her abilities. Everything she had ever done was out of emotions she couldn't control and it was getting to the point where she lacked the ability to control her power and yet they had the ability to control her.

Dean listened to her words, but they meant nothing to him when he didn't know what it felt like to have perfection at the edge of your fingertips and not be able to reach it. He opened his phone as Kim begged him to listen to her, and called Castiel. With her hesitance to trust herself and her abilities, they were forced to track down the Colt.

Sam was secretly on Kim's side. He believed that Kim had the power to fix everything and send Lucifer back into Hell, to stop the apocalypse, but he questioned whether she could control the abilities she possessed. She had spent most of her time fighting the pain her ability caused her, only occasionally doing something useful with it and only recently being able to control small things around.

Sam understood how difficult it would be because of his own ability he had. If his ability was difficult for him to control without drowning himself in demon blood, he could only imagine how difficult it would be for Kim to control the grace of God.

Dean rang Cas and had him follow Crowley and his minions to track him down and find the Colt. Dean spoke on the phone to Cas as he followed their victim

"That's okay, you did great. We'll take it from here," Dean said before hanging up the phone with Cas. Kim looked up and arched an eyebrow, waiting for him to explain. He looked down and didn't say anything as they waited, Sam just as intrigued as Kim.

"So?" Sam asked Dean. He expected a location, coordinate or something. An indication of where Crowley would be. Without saying a word, Dean pulled the Impala into drive and started to move.

"What?" Kim asked. Dean stayed silent for a second before answering.

"We need Jo's help," Dean explained and Kim scoffed at his joke, ignoring the importance in his voice.

"Funny," she huffed. "Where's Crowley?"

"He's not far from here but it's layered in Enochian warding magic. Cas can't get in. We need someone to lour some demons out of this place to open the gates so we can get in," Dean explained.

"You're looking at her," Kim fumed. Dean sighed at her.

"Everyone know's who you are," Dean huffed. "They won't send out one or two demons, he'll send out an army to get you," Dean bared back.

"So what? We just bring in Jo as bait?" Kim huffed. "I'm not bringing her into any of this shit. I already got Ash killed, not Jo!" Kim was furious. He had a willing participant at his fingertip but would rather put another life in danger. "Do you understand?!"

"Jo's always happy to help," Dean huffed at her attitude, already bringing the phone to his ear and calling her. Kim heard her voice on the other line and she already knew it was too late. She was stubborn, she would come either way now. Dean, at the moment his finger pressed the call button, he had dragged her into something he wouldn't pull her out of.

"Yeah," Kim sighed, "that's the problem."

•※•

Kim crouched behind a bush, watching as Jo walked up to the intercom of Crowley's place in a beautiful and enticing evening dress, her demon knife in her hand, ready to attack at any second.

"Hello?" the man behind the intercom said.

"Hello. My car broke down. I-I need some help," Jo said, playing the innocent victim, drawing them out of the palace like home.

"I'll be down in a minute," he replied and Jo let go of the intercom button, waiting for them to come down. As the two men approached, the gates swing open and they swagger up to Jo as she waited.

"Evening, pretty lady. Get yourself on in here," he said confidently.

"I just need to make a call," she replied nervously.

"You don't need to call anyone, baby." He glanced at his partner and the other one replied.

"We're the only help you're ever gonna need." Jo shivered in disgust.

"You know what? I think I should wait by my car," she replied, turning to leave and head back to her fake car but the first man grabbed her shoulder, his eyes turning black and Kim threw herself from the bushes and charged towards the demons. Stabbing the man with his hands on Jo first right through the neck. She watched as he flickered orange and fell limp. He turned to the demon who looked to her, sending a punch towards her. Quickly she dogged underneath his swing and stabbing him upwards into his heart, falling to the fall as well.

Kim panted slightly as she turned to Jo.

"Nice work," Dean complemented.

"Thanks," she said. Kim wiped the blood from the demons on her jacket. Jo and Ellen didn't know about Kim, and she had warned Dean and Sam that if either of them let it spill, she would leave and Dean believed every single word of her threat, so they kept their mouth shut.

"Thanks, Jo. You can leave now," Kim said.

"Nice try," she huffed as Dean handed her a bag.

"Fine, but you're staying guard."

"Okay. Shall we?"

It was worth a try.

"You too, Kim. He figures out you're here and he's on our ass forever," Dean said and Kim scoffed, grabbing the bag off Jo.

"Sure," she scoffed.

"I'm serious, Kim. You're staying with Jo." Without saying another word, he looked to Sam and walked off, leaving Kim no time to respond or argue. This is what she meant by overprotective.

The cold air of the circled them as they were left alone in the front of the King of the Crossroad's house. Shivers ran down her spine and up her arms, goosebumps covered her exposed skin. Kim held the demon knife in her firm grip, just in case any demon spotted them. They stood in the proper stance for a moment, but as Kim realised that no threat was coming, she relaxed and leaned against the wall. As Jo watched Kim relax her stance, so did her, squatting to the floor, twiddling her knife between her fingers.

Kim felt uncomfortable with Jo there. Something bad as going to happen, and it was only going to happen because Jo was there. Bad things only ever happened whenever Kim's family was involved.

Kim and Jo had some small conversations while they waited. Kim expressed how she didn't want her to be here, and Jo expressed how little she cared. Hunting was her job now, and Kim had to get over the days where she would listen to Jo get a good yelling from Ellen when trying to sneak out incessantly for a hunt, but she couldn't shake that feeling.

•※•

"What do you mean he just gave it to you?" Kim scoffed from the backseat of the Impala. The boys returned with the Colt half an hour after entering, their clothes and skin blood stain free, a confused expression on their face.

"I'm telling you, Kim. This guy wants Lucifer dead just like we do," Dean explained from the driver's seat. Kim observed the Colt in her hands, feeling the rustic metal and designs against her fingertips.

•※•

Five shot glasses stood filled with brown whisky next to three empty, upside down shot glasses. A hiss left Ellen's lips as she sculled her next shot, smacking the glass down back onto the table. Kim drank her beer as she leant against the wall, watching Ellen go. Across from her, sitting down was Jo, drinking her beer.

They had made it to Bobby's house and introduced them Castiel when Ellen decided to play a little game with him.

"All right, big boy," Ellen smirks, not seeing that Castiel had already downed all his shots in a row without a moment's hesitation as easily as if it was water.

"Well," he said, finishing his last shot. Ellen stared at him, as did Jo, a look of amazed astonishment of their perplexed faces. Kim smirked at their reaction. "I think I'm starting to feel something."

Sam and Dean were sitting on the couch and Kim wandered over to them, taking a drink as she walked. As Kim was uncomfortable and not used to the fact that Jo hunts, Jo and Ellen were just as not used to Kim drinking. Living at a bar for a small part of her life, Ellen got used to yelling at young Kim whenever she would drink and now that it was legal, she wasn't used to the sight.

"It's gotta be a trap, right?" Sam asked as if it was obvious.

"Sam Winchester, having trust issues with a demon. Well, better late than never," Dean sassed and Sam rolled his eyes.

"Thank you again for your continued support," Sam scoffed and Dean smirked, holding his bottle out to cheers.

"You're welcome." They clink bottles before taking a swig.

"Well, I certainly don't trust him," Kim scoffed. "What demon hands over the most powerful weapon in the world and not expect us to come charging after them once Lucifer is dead?" Kim asked. "He's planning something."

"You know, trap or no trap, we got a snowball's chance, we gotta take it, right?" Dean said, looking to Kim. He watched for a glimmer of annoyance in her eyes as he played the game of Kim not being what she was, for the sake of Ellen and Jo. He watched for it, but Kim smirked, it was her idea to chase the Colt, after all.

"Well," she said with a sly smirk. "It is our only chance." Her eyes switched to him in search for annoyance. She could see the irritation in his eyes as she looked at him. Kim smirked and lent up against the wall near Bobby's desk.

"Besides," he continued testily, "I'm not sure it is a trap. Check it out. I mean, Carthage is lit up like a Christmas tree with Revelation omens. And look at this." Dean pushed some papers around. "There's been six missing persons reported in town since Sunday. I think the devil's there," Dean said confidently.

"Okay," Sam nodded.

"Look, when you think about it... you can't come with." Sam rolled his eyes at Dean. "Look, I go against Satan and screw the pooch, okay. We've lost a game piece. That we can take. But if you're there, then we are handing the devil's vessel right over to him. That's not smart."

"Since when have we ever done anything smart?"

"I'm serious, Sam," Dean announced.

"So am I. Haven't we learned a damn thing? If we're gonna do this, we're gonna do it together," Sam reminded. Dean looked to Sam and for a long moment before looking away.

"Okay, but it's a stupid frigging idea." Dean looked from Sam to Kim, who was looking down, twiddling the empty beer bottle in her hand. He got up and moved over to her, leaning on the wall next to her as Sam moves out the room.

Kim looked up at Dean for a moment and she couldn't help but release a small smile on her lips. It was a soft and gentle smile, something Dean could only get out of her. She looked up at him as if it was the last time she would get the chance to properly see him, to appreciate him. They were heading into a world-ending war with a gun and some hope, she was holding onto every moment she had left with him. She looked into his eyes and saw a man holding back the pains of Hell, but she also saw the man that walked into the Roadhouse all those years ago. The glossy, green eyes she adored to look at, but really, it was everything about him that caused her to feel that way.

While she was admiring him, he took his time to admire her. Admire everything about her. He admired the pain she carried and the pain he knows she will continue to carry. He saw the self-doubt and self-loathing she possessed for herself, and he could never imagine why. He could never bring himself to think such awful things about her; as she did to herself. He would never understand what she felt and he had come to accept that. He would never know how much she loathed herself for what she was, for what she had the power to do, but not the skill to obtain. The utter crushing revulsion she felt towards herself whenever she thought about the fact that with one simple snap of her fingers, she could fix every heartbreaking mistake she had ever made; but no matter how hard she tried, no matter the limits she pushed on herself, she would never reach it. The more she wanted it, the more she needed it, the less likely she was going to obtain it, but it was something she couldn't stop craving. Dean saw that. He saw it in her brown eyes that he loved to stare into, or the forced smile she made a frequent habit. He saw it in the strong girl that stood beside him. He saw it in her as he watched the world morph her into a woman of self-loathing. But as he looked at her, he could only see how beautiful she was and how much healthier she looked too, the bag under her eyes were disappearing and her hollow cheeks were starting to fill.

He smiled at her slightly. "Dangerous mission tomorrow. Guess it's time to eat, drink, and, you know, make merry," Dean said to her and she smirked.

"That's you're last-day-on-earth speech?" Kim smirked. Dean grinned cheekily and shrugged as Kim placed her empty beer bottle beside her.

"Ah, best I could do," he scoffed and Kim huffed a laugh.

"Don't worry," she said. "I'll protect you," she smirked, nudging him in the shoulder with hers, looking down before looking him in the eyes. He laughed at her, but she wasn't kidding. Lucifer couldn't kill her, but for all she knew, nothing could.

Dean watched her as she smirked, his smile slowly slipping into a more serious look, and when she looked up to meet his gaze, he saw just how perfect she was.

His hand reached her and gently glided across her skin to the back of her neck and pulled her closer. Their lips touched and it was if their lips were made for each other. It was soft and gentle. Dean wished he would have done that a long time ago.

They moved slowly, but it was nothing other than perfection. With their bodies pressed together, she feared she would never get closer to heaven than she was in that moment. As their lips moved together, it felt as if she was receiving something she didn't know she needed until she had it. The touch of his skin on hers while he held her through the kiss, moving with compassion and grace, they separated.

Dean looked down at her, a smile across his lips as he held her waist to him, his arms circling her protectively. Kim looked up at Dean and smiled sadly. The kissed the shared seemed so perfect that it would fix all their problems, but they knew that it wouldn't; good things can only last so long.

"Everybody get in here! It's time for the lineup. Usual suspects in the corner," Bobby ordered and Kim and Dean sighed, looked to each other for a moment before entering the room Bobby was in.

"Oh come on, Bobby. Nobody wants their picture taken," Ellen huffed.

"Hear, hear," Sam replied.

"Shut up. You're drinking my beer," Bobby scoffed as he rolled his wheelchair into position after setting up the camera. Castiel stood in the far left, Sam by his side, Dean beside him. Ellen, Jo and Kim stood in front of the three boys, being much shorter than them, and Bobby wheeled himself to the front. "Anyway, I'm gonna need something to remember your sorry asses by."

"Ha!" Ellen huffed, everyone smiled. "Always good to have an optimist around." Castiel took it literally.

"Bobby's right. Tomorrow we hunt the devil. This is our last night on earth."

Their smiles disappear. The camera flashed.

•※•

It was the next day, the rising in the sun woke them all as they prepared for what could potentially be their last day. Kim sat in the back of the Impala as they drove to the town that held Satan, fear circling the back of everyone's mind.

As they entered the town, it was instantly apparent that it was completely abandoned. The town held no colour and the buildings were all empty. No one walked the streets and no sound was to be heard from miles around. It was almost as if mother nature had decided to leave town. The trees were grey and dying and the wind was nonexistent. An eerie feeling crept through their veins as Dean and Ellen pulled up next to each other in the abandoned town, Jo riding shotgun in their car.

"You getting a signal?" Sam asked Dean as Dean checked his phone. He sighed and put it away after checking it.

"No, nothing. Nice and spooky," he said. Ellen rolled down the window as she pulled up beside the Impala.

"Place seems a little empty to you?" she asked as she looked into the other car.

"We're gonna go check out the PD. You guys stay here, see if you can find anybody," Dean said.

"Okay," Ellen said as she watched Dean drive off, she watched her other daughter leave her sight. Kim didn't even glance their way, her mind was too busy preoccupied on her own terrible thoughts. The worst being she's trapped, with no chance of escape through death, she would be trapped on a ruined Earth, alone with the Devil.

As they drove through the town, they realised it was deadly abandoned. No one was in sight, no sound could be heard and when they made it to the station, they also found it abandoned. The doors left locked and the windows covered in dust, there was no one anywhere, so they found their way back to Ellen and Jo who were in the centre of the empty town in their car.

"Station's empty," Kim informed them as they looked at each other through the windows of the cars. Jo looked at her and nodded.

"So's everything else," Jo replied.

"Have you seen Cas?" Ellen asked.

"What? He was with you," Sam replied but she just shrugged.

"Nope. He went after the reapers," Ellen answered and Kim furrowed her eyebrows.

"Reapers?" Dean asked. Kim licked her teeth and grunted under her breath. With reapers lurking the streets, a dark omen circled the area. They knew what that was and they knew what fate was in store.

"He saw reapers? Where?" Sam continued, his eyebrows furrowed too.

"Well, kind of everywhere," Jo answered. The three of them looked to each other, their eyes lingered for a moment, their experience in the field, they knew it was nothing good.

The five of them exit their cars, gathered their shotguns and blades and marched through town for a thorough investigation. The town was painted grey, not even the sun could pierce the bleakness of the town. The rough quality it had added to the eerie nature. Kim hated silence like this, they type that summoned dread and disappear, where one was left to mind their own caution and thoughts.

They searched for Castiel, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Well, this is great, been in town twenty minutes and already lost the angel up our sleeve," Dean hissed as they walked. Dean stood on the edge with Kim by his side, Sam beside her and Ellen and Jo after him.

"You think, uh, you think Lucifer got him?" Sam questioned with reluctance.

"I don't know what else to think," Dean replied and Kim sighed and ground her teeth in irritation and suspense.

"I'm loving the positivity," she hissed as she swirled her demon bad between her fingers.

"Since where were you ever positive?" Dean asked as he looked to her. Kim caught his glance and stared back, an itchy smirk on her lips and their hands brushed as they walked.

"I'm not, that's why you have to be," she sniggered and Dean smiled softly, pressing a soft peck on her lips, glad she was by his side. It was small, but it was enough to gain satisfaction out of Kim.

"There you are," a voice said from behind them. They all twirled to meet the face to the voice, but it was one they weren't expecting. She smirked evilly as she watched all the hunters get defensive.

"Meg," Sam spat as he looked at her.

"Shouldn't have come here, boys," she replied, her gaze ignore the three women by their side.

"Hell, I could say the same thing for you," Dean hissed, aiming the Colt at her forehead. A shadowed smirk rose from behind the barrel of the gun, but her's never faltered.

"Didn't come here alone, Deano." A silence lingered as they watched a puddle by Meg's feet splash as if something had dropped in it. Kim sucked in a breath, her eyes hollowed at the sight. With hooded eyebrows she watched how Meg moved, her cocky stance gave little clue to where the hellhound could be or how many they were facing.

The sound of vicious dogs barking and growling echoed through the empty town barreling done the corridor of buildings. Kim felt Dean stiffen beside her so she relaxed her shoulders in comparison. The tension in the air lingered heavily as all their eyes darted to the floor near Meg's feet to try and get a feel of how many they were up against as they tried to push the thoughts of inevitable death from beneath their fingertips.

"Hellhounds," Dean breathed. Meg could see the memories of Hell and the hellhounds that dragged him there flash beneath his green eyes.

"Yeah, Dean. Your favorite. Come on, boys. My father wants to see you," she called.

"I think we'll pass, thanks," Sam replied with a flashing smile.

"Your call. You can make this easy or you can make it really, really hard," she added, and Kim stiffened in her position, balancing out her weight and twirled the knife in her hand. They were looking for a fight and as Dean looked back to Ellen, who gave him a confirming nod, the war was settled.

"When have you known us to ever make anything easy?" Instantly, Dean held up the colt and shot the hellhound that stood in the puddle causing blood to spur form the hound of the dead hellhound.

"Run!" Sam yelled, the five of them ran sprinting in the opposite direction, but it was instant when the hellhounds caught up to them. Scratching the back of Kim's leg, she felt the claws of the hellhound rip at her flesh. She twirled around instantly and slashed aimlessly at the air in front of her. She felt a resistance as she struck, and blood slattered from the knife, a thud landed at her feet and she felt the dead hellhound fall limp at her side.

Her leg was badly wounded, the hellhound as ripped oven her calf and blood was pouring from her wound. She was distracted by the pain that she hadn't realised a hellhound and tackled Dean to the floor. Jo had stopped running, she aimed her meaningless bullets at the hellhound on top of Dean and shot, marching forward as she did. Only where she heard Dean's cry for Jo to stop did she look up from her wound.

"Jo, stay back!" he ordered and Kim shot her gaze up at Jo aiming and firing at the hellhound. Kim's heart started to race as she ran as best as she could over to them, and she was conflicted for who to run to and aid, but as he watched the terror in Dean's eyes as he fought the hellhound on top of him, she knew that he had seen the worst, and Jo was still inexperienced. She turned to Jo and limped over to her, to pull her away from the fight and to get her safe and back with Ellen.

As Kim ran, she watched as another hellhound made Jo collapse as it bit her side, bringing her to her knees. "No!" Kim cried as she limped over to her. Blood poured from her side as she fought the beast, and it wasn't long until she was forced to hold in her organs with her hand. Dean had killed the hellhound that pinned him and ran to aid Jo as Sam and Ellen started shooting the beast.

In a sweeping motion, Dean carried a whaling Jo in his arms and ran to the closest building for cover. The four of them ran, Kim limping behind them as they made their way into the building. Kim felt the pressure she put on her leg as she limped. The blood poured down her leg, staining it red. It was too gruesome to look at, the dangling parts of her flesh swayed as she ran.

Sam held the door open for Kim as she limped, and as she forced herself inside, Sam shut it straight after to prevent the hellhounds from entering. As Dean leant Jo against the counter of the hardware store, Sam and Kim helped hellhound proof the area, lining the doors and windows with salt while Ellen consoled Jo, her bleeding daughter in her arms.

The whimpers of Jo echoes through the store and surrounded them in sorrow. Kim's heart sunk at the noise. Jo's grunts and whimpers sunk into their brains as they tried to help, but the pleas of Ellen made them fear more.

"Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, breathe now-"

Sam chained the doors shut, the dangle of chains was drowned out by the barking and growing of the hellhounds that camped outside that door. Kim tried her best to block out Jo's whimpers, but it was hard to ignore as she bandaged her own wound and prayed for the best.

"Kim, need some help here!" Ellen screamed, and as Kim pinned the bandage closed that held together her leg, she limped over to Ellen and Jo and helped Jo hold in her stomach. Kim looked to Jo, her eyes weak and dull, losing colour by the second. She looked scared, Kim could see it in her expression and it hurt to watch.

Jo's blood stained Kim's skin. It outlined her nail and blotched on her hand as she held the wound with Jo. Kim wished she had never let Jo come on this hunt, she wished she was more forceful when telling her that she wasn't coming. She wished she never cared for Jo so much, because nothing hurt more than watching her die slowly, knowing she had the power to prevent it but not the ability.


	61. Chapter Fifty-Nine

Kim had been in a state of utter panic and fury the moment she saw Jo lying on the floor outside on the street, bleeding to death. The tear in her flesh was untreatable, logically Kim knew that, but another side of her, the side that remembers the day she returned to the Roadhouse and Jo gave her the ring, the side that remembers all the teasing they put each other through while waitressing or the movie nights they'd spend throwing popcorn inconspicuously at each other until Ellen noticed. That side refused to believe any ration at all because reality was cruel.

She knew that not excepting it now would only make it harder later on, but not one inch of her fibre cared. Everything she knew from past experiences and logic told her that there was no making it through this.

Kim sat by Jo's whimpering side in an effort to comfort her in any possible means she could, but it had never been Kim's strong suit. But she was strong by her side like she always was. Kim didn't know how to express fear through any other way than anger and she had already killed a hellhound.

"It's going to be okay."

That was a lie. Even Jo knew that. Jo knew that most of all. She was holding her stomach in with her hand, and only moments ago had Kim started to wrap up her wounds as tightly as she could. Kim fingers, unnoticeable to anyone else, fumbled as they bandaged Jo's wound. Her hands were stained with her blood. Her nails tinted to her shade.

Kim held her hand to the bandaged wound and press hard, her eyes closed. She was a Goddess who's powers outmatched all angles and archangels, Pagan Gods and Nephilims, surely, surely she could save Jo.

She had to do it. She had to. There was no other option. It should have been done with a snap of her fingers, or a blink of her eyes, or a wag of her nose. It was meant to be simple! but Kim was in so much panic and stress it was hard to concentrate on healing when all she could think about were the consequences if she couldn't do her job.

She squeezed her eyes shut harder than she ever had and concentrated, but with each second that passed and she hadn't conjured any energy, her mind and faith dwindled on herself.

"Dean, I can't do it," Kim sighed, almost wept.

"What do you mean you can't-"

"I don't know, Dean! I can't do it!" She was losing faith and tears were on the very brim of her eyes and she sniffled them back as Jo rolled her head down to look at her. Her eyes were so weak and her skin was so pale, a furious pain corrupted Kim when she looked at her. Kim watched as Jo tried to force a smile and Kim forced on back, just as tired and just as ghostly when in the background she heard Ellen on the phone to Bobby.

"Bobby, it's Ellen. The way he was looking, the number of places Castiel's eyes went, I'd say we're talking over a dozen reapers, probably more," Ellen said into the phone before putting it on speaker for everyone to hear.

"I don't like the sound of that," Bobby replied gruffly.

"Nobody likes the sound of that, Bobby, but what-wh-what does that sound like?" Dean asked quickly. The Hellhound pounding on the door of the warehouse, thundering through space.

"It sounds like death, son. I think Satan's in town to work a ritual," Bobby explained. "I think he's planning to unleash Death."

"You mean, like, as in this dude and taxes are the only sure thing?" Dean asked.

"As in Death. The Horseman. The pale rider in the flesh." Kim swallowed a lump in her throat. That did not sound good. A man who reeked of power and could kill with a brush of his shoulder was coming to visit, flesh and blood.

"Unleash? I mean, hasn't Death been tromping all over the place? Hell, I've died several times myself," Den scoffed.

"Not this guy. This is this is the angel of death. Big daddy reaper. They keep this guy chained in a box six hundred feet under. Last time they hauled him up, Noah was building a boat. That's why the place is crawling with reapers. They're waiting on the big boss to show." At the sudden news, Dean took Bobby of the speaker and put the phone to his ear. Kim's eyes dropped from Dean, before slowly reverting back to Jo. She had gone paler in the minute Kim had turned around.

"That's my girl, you're okay, honey," Ellen cooed as she coddled Jo in her arms, moving to the other side of her, holding her tightly. Kim looked to Ellen and Ellen slowly looked to Kim. Both of them shared a look of remorse, their grips tight to Jo as she swayed limply. The loss of blood was taking a toll on her and Kim kept her hand on her wound. Every free moment she had was occupied by her trying to heal her. She tried to force the power out of her. Clenching, screaming, whimpering.

Whimper. What a disgusting word.

Everything Kim did. All she attempted to do in order to save Jo was useless and Kim was craving the blame. Kim gave a look to Jo before squeezing Ellen's arm, getting up and walked to the boys. If she tried any harder to heal Jo and prevent the inevitable, the more she hated herself and the more she blamed God.

"Now we know where the devil's gonna be, we know when, and we have the Colt," Dean said suggestively-

"Yeah. We just have to get past eight or so Hellhounds and get to the farm by midnight," Sam sighed.

"Yeah, and that's after we get Jo and Ellen the hell out of town," Dean continued as Kim wandered up to them, a scowl on her lips.

"You think," Kim said rudely, coming up behind Dean. Dean knew she was furious at him, but she knew it wasn't his fault. She was just looking for someone to blame to distract her from knowing it was her own.

"Won't be easy," Sam sighed.

"Stretcher?"

"I'll see what we got." Sam turned around and went to go looking for something to carry Jo out as painlessly as possible. Kim nodded and went with him, only a step behind to try and find something also.

"Stop," Jo wheezed. "Guys, stop." Kim stopped mid-step and turned to her, a saddened look on her face. "Can we, uh, be realistic about this, please?" she coked as Kim started walking over to him.

"Jo," Kim whispered, "we're going to get you out of here," Kim said, kneeling down at her weakening body but Jo scrunched her face and shook her head, an action that made Kim cringe with sadness.

"Uh!" Jo grunted, uncomfortable and pained. "I can't move my legs. I can't be moved. My guts are being held in by an ace bandage. We gotta-we gotta get our priorities straight here," Jo winced. Kim gagged slightly as she choked back tears.

"I have my priorities straight. I'm getting you out of here," Kim choked.

"Number one, I'm not going anywhere," Jo cried.

"Joanna Beth, you stop talking like that," Ellen scolded as she tried her best to keep her voice strong for her daughters.

"Mom, I can't fight. I can't walk. But I can do something," she breathed as she adjusted herself slightly. "We got propane, wiring, rock salt, iron nails, everything we need." Kim sat there speechless. She couldn't believe what had just come out of her mouth.

"Don't, Jo," Kim begged. "Please." Sam looked to Kim questioningly before looking to Jo and then back to Kim flustered.

"Kim? What is she talking about? Everything we need?" Sam asked and Jo continued, Kim unable to get a word out.

"To build a bomb, Sam," Jo sighed and everyone stiffened instantly.

"No. Jo, no," Dean grumbled.

"You got any other plan? Those are hellhounds out there, Dean. They've got all of our scents. Those bitches will never stop coming after you. We let the dogs in, you guys hit the roof, make a break for the building next over. I can wait here with my finger on the button, rip those mutts a new one. Or at least get you a few minutes' head start, anyway," Jo said with all the energy she could muster. Kim let out a small gag from her lips as she kneeled down beside Jo, her head hung.

"No, I-I won't let you," Ellen pleaded.

"This is why we're here, right?" Jo asked as Ellen started to cry, shaking her head furiously. "If I can get us a shot on the devil- Dean, we have to take it."

"No!" Ellen cried, looking up at Dean before turning to Kim for reassurance, whose head was still hung in shame at herself. "That's not-"

"Mom, this might literally be your last chance to treat me like an adult. Might wanna take it?" Jo said smiling weakly and Kim gripped Jo tightly, her head bowed. Ellen's sobs filled the room and Kim had trouble keeping her cheeks dry.

"You heard her. Get to work," Ellen ordered the boys and Kim cried out.

"No!" Kim screamed, gripping Jo. "No! This- this wouldn't!- I'm not gonna!- I won't let you!" Kim screamed, her face writhing with heat as she yelled out. Jo grabbed Kim's hand, the hand she used to grip Jo's leg and held it firmly, with such love and care. Kim looked up and met her eye as she felt something cold and wet slip into her palm. Slowly, she looked from Jo's eyes to her hand and found a little ring with a pendant pentagram on it. On sight of its bloody form made Kim quake.

"No, no, this is yours," Kim gagged. "This is you're one so that no matter how far we are apart, we will always find each other again, right?" Kim tired her best to slip the ring back onto her bloody finger but her hand was trembling too much.

"I'm not leaving," Jo said with a small smile and Kim whimpered. "I'll see you in Heaven, yeah?" Jo asked and Kim's hand automatically went to her pin.

"Yeah," Kim smiled, leaning forward and planting a kiss on her forehead as the boys gathered the ingredients. "I'm so sorry."

Kim carried Jo into her position that was right in front of the doorway. She was much lighter than usual, and the blood left a trail. Kim would never forget the memories she shared with her just as she hadn't with Ash, and she was glad that Jo would be back with Ash instead of being alone.

The bomb had been made and set up, a wire from the explosive was lead to Jo so that she could ignite it when the bitches came running in. Jo held it faintly in her hand as the door continued to bash with the trashing pounds of hellhounds. Sam held Jo's hand as a small and final goodbye and a thank you, he could never repay.

"Okay, this is it. I'll see you on the other side. Probably sooner than later," Dean said to Jo as he looked down on her.

"Kim will make sure that it's later, right Kim?" Jo said with a small smile and Kim looked to Jo and nodded.

"Of course," she said softly as Jo started to cry. Dean lent down and placed a small kiss on her forehead, so gentle that Jo hand to lean up into it as he handed her the button. Kim didn't want to step back, but a small hand on Kim's waits pulled her away as Dean stepped back too. Kim watched as Ellen sat down next to Jo, what Kim thought was a final goodbye, but Kim saw the smile on Ellen's face as Kim let out a cry.

"Mom, no," Jo said softly, though she was trying to be as demanding as possible, Kim could see she was fading and Ellen whimpered at the sight of her.

"Somebody's gotta let them in. As you said, you're not moving. You got me, Jo. And you're right, this is important," Ellen explained and Jo nodded, but Kim resisted against Dean who's grip was too strong for her to break from. "But I will not leave you here alone."

"Kim," Ellen said, looking up at her. Kim looked at Ellen as she sat next to Jo, her eyes barely open and she tried to hold back the cries from leaving her mouth. "Thank you." Kim found her voice lumped in the back of her throat as she stared at them, tear brimming her eyes, a horrid weight in her chest of failure and loss.

"I'm sorry," she breather, her voice coming out as a whimper.

"Dean-" Sam tried.

"Get going now, boys. Take care for Kim for me," Ellen choked, trying to be strong.

"Ellen-"

"I said go," she demanded. Kim couldn't hold back a whimper as she stared at the two of them, sitting there in each other arms, as she felt Dean's pull drag her away.

"And Dean?" Dean stopped and looked to Ellen one last time. "Kick it in the ass. Don't miss." Dean nodded, taking Kim by the wrist and dragging her out as she outstretched to her mother and sister, face red and raw, pain filled her voice as she screamed for them. One last time she wanted to see them, touch them, kiss them like she should have done every time she saw them in the past, and the only thing that stopped her from dislocating a bone to be in the explosion with them was the thought that she would see them in Heaven.

Dean heaved Kim out of the exit and practically carried her a safe distance from the building, for any moment it could explode. The boys hurried up the fire escape making sure to keep Kim between them to stop her from turning back like they knew she would if she had the chance and as they ran across the street, an orange light exploded, a whimper of dogs was heard and the store had erupted in flames.

Kim and the others had stopped running to stare at the sight. Dean wrapped a careful arm around her waist and tugged her to him. She felt his comforting chest press against her back as she gripped the arm that held her, her eyes glued to the flames. Dean could feel her try and resist him, but she was weak from the thought of what actually happened, and Dean had to pull her along.

They had a job to do.

•※•

The three of them sneaked around some bushes that obscured their view of Lucifer. They had made it to his hiding spot in town, which wasn't really a hiding spot, they suspected he was awaiting their arrival. The town was miserably dark, the cold wind matched the cold frame of minds Kim possessed. She had a hard time focusing on anything around her or how drastic the next hour would be as they face Lucifer as she was focused on how much of an utter failure she was to everyone around her. A Goddess. She was a Goddess and she just watched two people she loved, die. Nothing could describe the hatred she felt for herself at that moment and suddenly everything around her became numb. She didn't care about the fact she was about to face Lucifer, potentially save the world and stop the Apocalypse because it was a world she no longer wanted to live in, and to her in her solemn state of mind, she'd let the world drown in her pain.

But Jo and Ellen didn't die to let Kim ruin something again. This was her chance to prove that she wasn't just a mistake, that she could actually use the power she had to do something with Jo and Ellen's life. But even with the new motivation, she was numb to the world except for the hatred she shared for herself. Something so raw and genuine she would let the word destroy her if she hadn't a job to do, and she always finished a job.

She had the power to save her, and she tried, she really did, and she ended up losing the last of her Roadhouse family.

That's two families out of three.

They crept around the bushes as they watched Lucifer's silhouette dig a massive hole in the ground of the open field, a whole big enough to bury a town of corpses. Men littered the area around Lucifer, all simultaneously standing and facing the same direction as if waiting for an order. They did nothing but stare, and when the three of them moved, they didn't notice.

"Guess we know what happened to some of the townspeople," Dean said as he watched Lucifer shovel another scoop of dirt over the hole.

"Okay," Sam breathed.

"Okay," Dean nodded.

"Okay," Kim agreed.

"Last words?" Sam asked looking between the two of them. It hadn't really hit Kim that Satan was standing right in front of them, after smiting a whole town and conjuring the Angel of Death. Her mind was blocked with repetitive thoughts that destroyed her, leaving her wondering if she couldn't save Jo, how was she going to send Lucifer back to Hell. Her whole life was in questions at how pathetic and useless she was and she questioned if everything Gabriel said was true, it was just so toilsome to control.

"I think I'm good," Dean said in response to Sam.

"Nope."

"Yeah. Me too," Sam whispered before looking back to Lucifer.

"Here goes nothing," Dean said prepping himself as he and the others step out of the bushes.

"Hey!" Sam yelled at Lucifer as he approached to gather his attention, a mere shotgun in his hand to distract him. Kim moved with Dean to the opposite side of Sam, so that they were behind Lucifer. "You wanted to see me?" Lucifer turned to Sam, a wicked smile on his face as he threw away the shovel he used to bury the bodies.

"Oh, Sam, you don't need that gun here. You know I'd never hurt you. Not really," Lucifer sassed, smirking at Sam's human incompetence.

"Yeah? Well, I'd hurt you," Dean said, bringing up the aim of the Colt to match Lucifer's forehead. A gun renowned to kill all creatures was aimed at him mercilessly, yet he didn't react or even flinch. The smirk still on his lips as he looked to Dean, but the second his eyes scanned Dean, they moved to the person beside him.

Kim stood beside Dean, but as he saw Lucifer's wicked gaze drift to her, his smile only widening, he used his free hand to push her behind him. His action so small that it caused Lucifer to laugh.

"So suck it." Dean fired the shit straight for Lucifer and they watched as it embedded itself in his forehead. He collapsed to the floor and Kim slowly retreated from behind Dean. That was too easy. They watch as his corpse falls, making sure it didn't move again. The boys watched him sceptically, they also thought that was too easy.

The body of Lucifer jerked before inhaling, shifting potions in the ground uncomfortably. "Ow..." Lucifer whined before standing up. The three of them stumble back horrified. Kim felt a worldly weight smash she shoulder as she stumbled to his feet as if a bullet to the head was like a slap to the cheek. "Where did you get that?"

Lucifer sent a swing to Dean, sending him flying towards the trees. He smashed his back painfully as he collapsed on the floor. The two of them watched Dean before turning back to Lucifer. Kim was horrified, she had to do something. She had to. There was nothing else to be done to stop Lucifer. It was up to her, as it was when she was born.

"Now, where were we?" Lucifer asked with a smile, circling the two of them. Kim stood still, her fist clenched. She could feel Sam's glances at her, telling her to do something, but they were distracting, stressing her out. A pressure was collapsing over her heart

"Don't feel too bad, Sam. There's only five things in all of creation that that gun can't kill, and I just happen to be one of them," Lucifer smirked. "But if you give me a minute, I'm almost done." Lucifer picked up his shovel and scooped dirt onto the mass grave, continuing to cover it. Sam hurried over to help Dean, leaving Kim by herself behind Lucifer.

She closed her eyes as she let the pain she felt run through her. It was immense, a nail digging grip of stress and pain clung to her heart. Her chest was struggling to rise and fall normally as she too shallow breathes.

"You know, I don't suppose you'd just say yes here and now?" Lucifer asked casually. "End this whole tiresome discussion? That's crazy, right?"

"It's never gonna happen!" Sam shouted at him as the two of the brothers watch Kim. Her whole body so tense she couldn't even walk over to the brothers, out of the way of Lucifer. She didn't know what was coming over her, and even worse, she didn't know how to control it. Her whole body ached in grief for Ellen and Jo as she stared at the man that helped cause their death.

"Oh, I don't know, Sam. I think it will. I think it'll happen soon. Within six months. And I think it'll happen in Detroit," Lucifer smirked as he patted down his finished hole and started to walk closer to Kim.

"You listen to me, you son of a bitch. I'm gonna kill you myself, you understand me? I'm going to rip your heart out!" Sam seethed, red in the face and blood boiling to a furious degree, something that seemed to bother Lucifer minimally.

"That's good, Sam. You keep fanning that fire in your belly. All that pent-up rage. I'm gonna need it." Sam visibly calmed, not wanting to give Lucifer the satisfaction of his anger before looking at the man who haven't changed their position.

"What did you do? What did you do to this town?" Sam asked.

"Oh, I was very generous with this town. One demon for every able-bodied man. "And the rest of them?" he said comfortably before pausing. "In there. I know, it's awful, but these horsemen are so demanding. So it was women and children first. I know what you must think of me, Sam. But I have to do this. I have to. You of all people should understand." Sam recoiled when Lucifer compared himself to him.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I was a son. A brother, like you, a younger brother, and I had an older brother who I loved. Idolised, in fact. And one day I went to him and I begged him to stand with me, and Michael- Michael turned on me," he spat. "Called me a freak. A monster. And then he beat me down. All because I was different. Because I had a mind of my own. Tell me something, Sam. Any of this sound familiar? Anyway. You'll have to excuse me. Midnight is calling and I have a ritual to finish. Don't go anywhere. Not that you could if you would." Lucifer began to chant.

"Now repeat after me. We offer up our lives, blood, souls-" Dean's body starts to stir. "He's alive."

"We offer up our lives, blood, souls-" the demons repeated in unison. A chant as monotone as one of a cult.

"To complete this tribute."

"To complete this tribute."

In an instant, a flash of orange light erupted from one of the men, and the demon fell to the ground, limp on the floor. Sam and Dean stare horrified as the men drop to the floor, dead, but Lucifer watched ruthless enough to reply to their reaction.

"What? They're just demons." Sam writhed in hatred for him, watching him pt this whole town in the ground, sparing no one.

"I'll make sure you don't get away with this! I'll never say yes! It's never going to happen!"

"No," Lucifer smirked, throwing the shovel away and looking to Kim, "what I thought was never gonna happen was you two idiots, bringing the most powerful and wanted creature in the world right to me," he smirked, looking at Kim. She heard his words, and she let the pain devour her. It consumed her until it was impossible to breathe.

All of her senses controlled her as she felt the ground move as Lucifer took a step closer. She felt a searing heat slash through her body and down her spine, and she bit her tongue from screaming in pain. It was too hot, burning her like she was over a fire.

"Don't you dare touch her you son of a bitch!" She heard Dean yell out from the bushes as he stumbled to his feet. Lucifer smirked most cockily at Dean as he circled her, the only thing stopping him for stupidly marching in and defending her was the grip Sam had on his shoulder.

"You mean, like this?" Lucifer asked, raising a finger and placing it on her forehead as she stood still, almost comatose with her fist smashed shut. Kim felt his finger press against her forehead, but as quickly as she felt it, it had disappeared and a roaring pain escaped Lucifer's lips, tangled with a laugh. "Feisty, good."

Lucifer stared right into Dean's struggling eyes, and with a snap of his fingers, Kim was no longer there.

•※•

Kim appeared in a dark room with one dangling light over her head that dimly lit up a small portion of the room. Kim looked around, she had no idea how long the room went or how close the walls were. Mere feet in front of her was pitch black and she had no idea what lurked in that abyss.

Too suspicious to step out of the circle of light, she stretched her neck to see if she could see any movement or maybe even hear something. Nothing. It was completely silent. Deadly. Looking around slowly to check behind her, she saw nothing. Her head turned up to see the light blinding down on her. She reached her arm up and tapped the rim of the circular shade and the light started to sway slightly.

She watched as the light swayed and partly showed some other parts of the room. With a heavier push, it swayed further and comforted that the room was quite large, almost like a warehouse. The light showed no evidence of life in any other corner of the room, but not being able to move the light with her, she decided to stay in the light.

Searching for a door or window seemed useless in the pitch black, the light showed no evidence of a wall. The stayed still, her human instinct telling her that the light was the safest option, but her hunter instinct told her to explore, escape. The swaying light started to stop and slow down, fixing over her body as she cautiously watched the darkness.

Maybe she should explore. She knew she'd regret it if she didn't.

Taking a step forward, she stepped from the light into the darkness. It consumed her instantly as she looked back and observed the lonely circle of light that shone on the dark ground. Sighing, she was submissive to the numbness she felt.

It didn't matter what happened to her in this never-ending room. She may spend the rest of her life wandering around the blank darkness wondering if she'd ever find a wall let alone a window or door to escape from. Dean and Sam weren't going to look for her. They had the whole Apocalypse to worry about, the pressure of the world was placed on their shoulders now that the Colt didn't work and she was missing.

She liked the numbness. She had nothing to worry about for the first time in her life when in reality, it was the most stressful and confronting time she had ever faced. She let the worry and pain become repressed as she wandered around aimlessly, she wasn't even looking for a wall. She was simply wandering as one would in a store that held items that were out of their budget range.

She went through fazes instantly in her mind as she confronted herself. For instance, wallowing in the pathetic excuse she had for a life was weak. Scumming and excepting the numbness she felt was insecure. Allowing herself to feel nothing in such a way made her pathetic. She wasn't pathetic, or at least that's what she used to believe. But the recent experiences she had been through seemed to bring her to her knees. Jo and Ellen are dead and she was unsure how strong she could be without them.

On the other hand, their deaths inspired a hatred in her. Not only the one she suppressed of herself but the hatred and pure fury towards Lucifer and his plans. Letting the numbness consume her would suppress her motivation to have the last laugh as she watched Lucifer fall from his plans, wiping that cocky smirk off his face once and for all.

Instead, like all her other emotions and griefs she had through others death, she repressed them deep down where even a place like Hell couldn't reach them and she felt her wander turn into a run. Sprinting straight ahead, she hoped for a wall to collide with so she could possibly find a window or something she could use to escape from this evil darkness.

Jo and Ellen didn't die for nothing. Kim was going to make sure of that. She was going to finish her job. Not sure how, not sure when, but she was going to get it done.

For Ellen.

For Jo.

For Ash.

For everyone.


	62. Chapter Sixty

She had been wandering for so long, it had become pointless. The concrete beneath her feet and the roof above her head didn't seem to be attached to any walls; and if they were, she had not found them. Her persistent run slowly turned into a rambled walk, her eyes adjusted to the black that completely swallowed her.

She had no idea how long she had been walking or when Lucifer was going to come because she knew he was. She had no idea what his plan was for her, and strategically, she didn't think she was the best creature to capture. She had no idea how to use her powers so his torture tactics were useless and a waste of time that would buy the Winchester some much needed time.

She sighed and stopped walking, her usual posture slumped.

Maybe that's all she was. All she will ever be.

Something to buy the boys a few minutes.

She swallowed a lump in her throat and huffed. The black room devoured her as she stood in the nothingness of the room. The silence started to become annoying as the sound of her walking had stopped and she was sorrowed with the most silence she had ever been emerged in. A quiet so prominent that it almost seemed a crime to take another step and ruin the aggravating peace.

Boredom and annoyance settled over her as she stood in the room. Nothing to do. Nothing to see. A deprivation of her stimulus' which frustratingly sent her into a fit of rage.

"This is your game?" she spat patronisingly into the air, looking up slightly as she spoke. "I've been tortured better by the demons you loathe."

Her words ignited a rage and she felt a rapid movement rush past behind her. Instantly, she swung around to make herself aware of what was behind her, but it was just black. She sucked in a breath, her limp heartbeat slowly rising.

She had no defence and was completely blind to what was around her. She felt the same movement rush behind her again, causing her to swing around just as she did before. Kim took a deep breath but thoughts kept penetrating her mind that assured her that if anyone was going to find a way to kill her, it would be the Devil.

A draping hand wrapped around her shoulders and spun her, causing her to tumble over her own feet and land on the concrete ground. As quickly as she fell, she was back on her feet, only the admitted fear she once held turned into unfathomable rage.

Lucifer underestimated her rage as it built up inside her. He underestimated the uncontrollable, raw fury that Kim possessed as he toyed with her. Kim had been tortured before, several times. Knives sticking out of her thighs, beatings that left her bloodied on the floor, injuries that had her holding in her stomach until the point where she couldn't breathe and she took it like a slap on the wrist, but never will she tolerate the mocking behaviour of her age. She was not some child that stumbled upon a monster and was forced into this life. She was a hunter. Born and raised. No matter the age, she was always a hunter, and she wouldn't let some cocky archangel mock her.

She felt a slap snap across her skin and a tug pulled her hair. Kim flustered around, trying to grab whatever was mocking her. A swing went to her feet and she fell straight onto her ass, her hands colliding with the concrete when she landed.

Kim landed hard, a sting shot up through her arms but the landing was the least of her concerns. She scowled and stared into the darkness as she felt her rage grow inside her if that was even possible. Her face was turning red and she clenched her fists and her jaw. An inhuman scream that was low and threatening erupted from her throat and she shot up and stood firmly on her feet.

A fiery light emerged in her hand. It was small and white, it's power so immense Kim had to shield her human eyes from the light. It was so bright that it lit up the entire room she was in. Kim's calmed eyes slowly opened as she stared at the fire in her hand as it hovered over her palm, no bigger than her fist. Swallowing a concerned lump in her throat, her eyes switched from the fire to the room, and she discovered that the floor she stood on and the roof over her head was in fact connected by four walls so far apart it was almost impossible to see all four of them at once.

Kim wiggled her fingers of the hand that held the fire. Her fingers moved into the light of the fire but she didn't feel a burn or any unpleasant feeling at all. It was warm, like a perfect cup of hot chocolate. Kim blinked a few times as she moved her other hand over it, feeling the warmth and as she caressed the flame, it switched to her other hand.

"Impressive," she heard a voice say behind her. Quickly, she spun around. "Well, not really." Lucifer stood in front of her just as any other normal civilian would. Kim sent him a loathing scowl which he smirked at.

"What do you want?" Kim spat. It was a stupid question and she knew it, so did Lucifer. The question just slipped out of her mouth automatically, she never intended on getting an answer, but the question presented an opportunity for Lucifer to explain to the girl what exactly she would be doing for him.

He smirked and stepped closer to her. "You," he said lowly, "have the power to do so much more and you're wasting your time with the Winchesters?" Kim kept a huff in her throat as she stared daggers at him. She licked her teeth ending with a click, her fingers flickering over the flame as her anger grew painfully in her chest. Her chest was tight with fury as she bit her tongue.

"If you're gonna kill me don't piss around," she spat, changing the subject. Kim had never been scared of dying and even less so when she found out that she couldn't. Staring into the eyes of Lucifer, an evil and suggestive smirk on his lips no longer caused any fear, especially while mourning. The weight of the world lifted off her shoulders as she stared at him. His eyes just surrounded her and all of her problems, and as the weight of the world lifted. All of the personal problems she had been avoiding because the world continued to end built up and crushed her. He emerged Kim in all of her problems and in an instant, it became hard to breath.

His eyes turned an evil and menacing red and Kim's permanent vigorous stance and her steady scowl changed as she inhaled heavily and gasped in absolute horror, a whimpered gulp hidden in her throat. She shivered in his presence as a fear she had never felt crossed her chest, her eyes widening with true dread and fear as she stared into his eyes; the face under the vessel.

Her light flickered out and once again, she was surrounded in utter darkness; or she wished. His naked figure stood in front of her. She felt the death of every single person she had met rest on her weakening shoulders. Every single person she couldn't save, her hunting mentor, her mother, her father, her sister, Pamela, Ash, Ellen and Jo. Their deaths choked her, putting pressure on her chest and making her wheeze. An immense pressure consumed her mind and she felt her knees weaken like she was about to collapse. She couldn't breathe, her breath stuck in her throat as she stared constantly at him.

Like a feeling she had never felt before. A death without the pleasure of feeling nothing and instead forced to feel everything. Her senses were overloaded in a type of fear she had never felt before. A dry fear that could not be mistaken for anything else than what it was. All her mistakes bundled into a creature whose face was too horrendous to describe. So gruesome that it made Kim realise just how real everything was. Her mistakes, her failures. There was nothing fake about them.

"I don't want to kill you," Lucifer smirked, and with a click of his fingers, the whole room lit with a dull light. "Why would I do that? No, I need you." Kim took a shaky step back as he stepped towards her.

"D-don't come any closer," Kim stuttered; his smirk only grew.

"Oh, don't be like that Kim, because just like Sam, you'll end up exactly where I want you." Kim looked to him, her mouth ajar and her eyes tearing with fear.

"What do you want with me?" she asked, fearing that the answer was worse than what she imagined. Lucifer smirked evilly, his true face stills showing and Kim was still forced to look at him. With a blink of his eyes, his vessel returned and Kim saw that his skin was slowly fading and peeling away.

"Well, obviously you can't get Sam to say 'yes'. That's a job I need to do myself. No, you have more worth than you can think of. I can do anything with you," he smirked as he circled her like prey.

Kim followed his steps, keeping the same distance from him as he circled. She let out a shaky breath and she saw how much pain she was about to endure in the curve of his smile.

"You know, what I can't believe the most out of this is that Gabriel kept this a secret from everyone for millenniums. Normally he's one for bragging. He must really care about you." Lucifer laughed, slightly chucking his hands up as an emphasis. "Dad was such a fool to let you wander the Earth. You were his biggest mistake." He continued to laugh but Kim couldn't shake the mortified feeling she got when she looked at his real face.

"You come to me in many forms, so thank you for that," he drawled to her as he took more threatening steps around her. "Bait, for the Winchester-"

"Sam won't say yes to you. Even if you did have a way to kill me," she spat, her nervous demeanour still evident in her steps. Lucifer watcher her, quite amusingly as she fretted. Kim had never been like this and she loathed the feeling.

"Ah, I don't think you realise how much you mean to the boys." Kim swallowed a lump in her throat, hoping he was wrong. "But not only that, but you also are here to do my bidding. You know the usual evil plan. Build me an army so I can take over the world, yada yada yada."

Kim stood for a moment before she pressing her lips together firmly, trying to stop the small smile from her lips appearing to him, but his snake-like eyes caught the held smile and he raised an eyebrow at her. Kim honestly found his speech quite amusing, considering it was hugely flawed.

Not only was it a fact that Kim would never willingly make him an army of any sort, but it was also a fact that she had absolutely no idea how. Her power over her ability was about as strict as one-year-old's ability to colour within the lines and he was a fool for not see that earlier. Admittedly, Kim was getting better with controlling what was within her, but everything she had done that was of any extreme was done out of her control or by accident.

"I couldn't even do that if I wanted to." Kim knew that her emotions were the only thing that truly controlled what was inside her. She watched Lucifer smirk wider, his raised eyebrow lowered to a furrowed line, covering his red eyes.

"Oh, but I think I know just the way to make you."

In an instant, Kim felt a pain concave her body making her feel as if she herself was falling into her own skin. A tight and roaring pain that in less than a second, she went from numb to writhing in torment.

Her muscled stiffened as she was forced to feel the utter destruction of her body as he violated her with torture. Layer after layer, she felt the molecules of her body imploding into itself. Her bones snapping at an incurable angle and her lungs stopped working immediately. Kim didn't even have time to gather a breath to hold before it was all ripped from her decomposing and rotting lungs. She felt all her internal organ turn rotten as if mould and maggots were devouring them. Worms crawling through the bloodied holes of her dead organs.

No struggle she seemed to be having had any effect of the result of the pain. It just kept coming in waves and she felt her brain tighten from the loss of blood and her quickly failing heart start to beat rapidly in the back of her throbbing head.

Just as fast as it had come, it had disappeared but Kim felt the resonance of it curled up in her skin. Kim gulped for breath and her once stiff body fell limp to the floor, not being quick enough to gather her balance. She collapsed completely.

Her body jerked slightly as she listened to Lucifer's footsteps walk slowly over to her body, the sound of his steps were low and intimidating. She saw him look down on her, towering over her but her lips somehow twisted into a smirk and a gagged laugh escaped her lips, the sound gargled with her blood-filled mouth.

"You know, that smirk is getting really annoying," Lucifer spat through gritted teeth, his sarcastic behaviour disparaging. Kim jerked once more, blood dripping from the corner of her lips.

"You can't torture someone who has nothing left for you to take away," Kim spat, blood shooting at Lucifer.

"I can take the Winchesters," he writhed and Kim let out a muffled laugh. Her body riddled with pain as she felt her chest tighten.

"No, you can't." Kim took a deep breath, trying not to swallow blood. "You need them." Kim could feel herself getting weaker. Her body was withholding so much pain, every sense of her being became numb and her will to live became as weak as she was.

Kim felt herself fly across the massive room and land hard on the floor, leaving her already failing body in a heap of slumped flesh. Strike after strike, Lucifer preferred to feel the crush of her bones under his knuckles as he covered her in bruises and broken bones.

"You will make me an army." Her chest cried for relief. "An army of angels-" another punch, "and creatures of your own design who will obey me and follow me!" Kim was sent across the room once again, further than the last time, leaving a trail of falling blood as she crossed the room.

Kim expected another punch to strike her at any moment as she tensed and waited for the strike, but the anticipated hit never came. Kim stayed in her curled posture for a moment more before gaining the courage to pull herself over to look at what was happening. She heaved herself over with a thud, a small cry of pain felt her lips. Her face was swollen and blooding, almost every bone in her body was broken and she could only move her arms.

Her eyes traced the room to find Lucifer looking up, her red blood drowning his hand. She watched as she clenched his fist, feeling the blood squirm between his hand against the pressure. His gazed moved from his hand to Kim, a type of smirk on his face that she had never seen before. It was so much more evil and vile; she could only imagine the intentions behind it.

Kim didn't have the strength to move away as he stepped closer to her. His pace stayed even as he stalked towards her, squatting down to her level and getting right in her face.

"Or," he gritted, "you can make me another vessel." His smirk only grew when he saw the horror on Kim's face. "One that will last longer than Sam Winchester, make me more powerful than he can." Lucifer could taste the blood of his brother Michael on the tip of his tongue just by saying those words. Kim looked him in the eye as she struggled to hold herself up and she could barely think of the pain she would experience when she refused Lucifer's work.

"No," she muttered. Her wrist collapsed under her weight and her torso fell to the floor. "Torture me all you want," she breathed, her lungs barely able to cope as she breathed quickly and sharp breaths, "but you will never get anything out of me."

A simple snap sound crossed the room. A form of energy entered Kim and she felt her lungs revive with oxygen after being deprived for way too long. All of her aching muscles felt as if she had never fought a fight before and she had the most energy had ever had. Power within Kim felt fresh and energetic, Kim had never felt so alive in her life. Everything about her seemed strong and she lifted herself off the floor and stood before Lucifer.

"Don't get too happy," he said. "I only did it so that this would hurt so much more when I do this," he laughed, slowly bringing his hand out before strikingly clenching his fist. Kim doubled over and put a fierce amount of pressure of her clenched stomach. A pain so gory ripped through her flesh, like a fist ripping the raw, clinging meat from her bones. A scratchy growl ripped through her throat and hovered in the air.

A wicked laugh taunted Kim as she tried her best to recover, not letting her knees concave so easily. With drool dripping from her growling lips, she threw her hand out and just as easily as Lucifer had, she sent him flying further across the room than he had her.

Lucifer slid across the flood but as quickly as he fell, she was up again with eyes as red as the blood that covered the floor from Kim's last bashing. Kim's blood covered Lucifer's side as he slid across it. Her crimson covered his fingers as he placed his fingers on the floor to help balance him as he stood. His red eyes stared at her as she straightened herself up, taking a deep breath to help numb the pain she felt and he brought his fingers to his lips and licked clean the blood from his hand.

"That was your mistake," Kim sneered, her eyes striking his legs and at an inhuman speed, Kim clenched her fist and sent Lucifer's knees buckling, which sent a smirk onto Kim's lips and with a click of her fingers, the lights in the room disintegrated instantly and they both stood in complete darkness, but the fear never settled in Kim and instead she was confronted with an overwhelming confidence.

She felt her skin start to heat up to a warm and comfortable temperature, feeling the blood inside her move faster and everything became more intense. Her skin started to glow an angelic, warm glow which was quite evident in the dully lit room.

With every stride Kim took towards Lucifer, Kim made sure he felt the weight of her steps. The pain started in his limbs, making him feel an overwhelming tight clench across his arms and legs which moved to her shoulders and hips, eventually meeting in the core of his stomach after collapsing his lungs and crushing his lips. A light inside Lucifer started to die as she moved and the blue glow was barely a whisper when she had met him and he had not moved from his groaning, hunched position on his knees. He looked up at her, his weak neck barely able to carry his head. His red eyes were dull and his smirk and vanished as if it was never on his lips. The eye contact she had with him infuriated her and she growled, throwing her hand up and choking him as she stood a mere meter away from him.

No ounce of pity overcame Kim as she looked down on the struggling man. Each glance at him just filled her with more and more hatred and she couldn't ignore the urge to continue to hurt him, although she knew that she had already hurt him so much that any more pain would just be numb. It was an offer she couldn't resist.

She threw all her energy into torturing him, his screams so satisfying that she hadn't realised she was losing strength with all her hatred pouring out of her. Her skin got hotter and quickly turned into an uncomfortable heat that was searing and burning her from the inside out. The light started to get blindingly bright and completely overwhelming, her blood rushing the fastest it had ever been. All of her scenes were overloaded with screeching sounds that didn't exist and heat that was boiling her. She had never had so much control over her ability and it seemed natural, nothing like it should have felt.

Kim had been tortured with the pain emitted from the grace for years, suffered through all of her families deaths and had even been tormented by Lucifer but she had never known real pain until that very moment where she felt the strength within her trying to tear itself away from her; Kim had no choice to let go of her hold on Lucifer.

Ripping herself away, she collapsed to the floor in a lump, unable to move. She was completely exhausted, more so than she had ever felt before and it was impossible to move. Even with the threat of a recovering Lucifer only a few mere meters away from her, she had no energy to try and attempt to save her life. She heard him stumble to his feet and she could hear his anger through his heavy footsteps in-cohesively stumbling towards her.

She couldn't open her eyes and she was thankful that she had enough will to take a breath. The weight she felt was like no other and she had finally discovered a way for her to die, and unfortunately, so did Lucifer. He could see her struggling to live as she laid on the floor, taking another step towards her.

Her heart started to race as she listened to him come closer, the heat within her only now started to cool down and her skin turned back to a normal temperature. She was immensely weak and even with the power of God within her, she knew she had no will to save her life.

Kim swallowed the lump of saliva that had gathered in her mouth, unable to wipe away the drool that spilled from her mouth, or the sweat that beaded from her forehead, or the dried blood that covered her skin and stained her. Her conscious became heavy, her fingertips couldn't feel the floor beneath her and her hearing started to get muffled as Lucifer stalked closer and she was overwhelmed with the nothingness that surrounded her.

She had failed once again.

•※•

It was late in the night and the darkness had developed over the land that Bobby's house stood on. A small patch of steam rose from the ground and into the night sky, reaching the full moon in the sky before evaporating into nothing. The land was pitch black except for the dull and patchy light from Bobby's house and the shimmer of the moon that lit up the highlights of Dean's face as he walked through a maze of broken and battered cars.

Beer in hand, he walked past the scraps of car metal until he was a decent distance from the house. He had stopped by an abandoned car that looked as if it hadn't been touched in years, but it was hard to tell with the developing darkness.

Dean looked miserable as he walked alone. He moved to take a sip of his beer, bringing it up to his lips, but he was so exhausted that he couldn't even bring himself to take a sip. Everything was falling down around him and he had no way of saving everyone. That day had been rough for him, Bobby could tell, so he didn't fret when Dean said that he needed air and walked outside.

That day was the day they fought Famine, one of the four horsemen and Sam, Dean and Castiel had barely made it out alive. Dean watched as his brother gorged on demon blood only forcing him to lock him back up again in the safe room. Dean couldn't listen to Sam screams any more. He had already lost Kim, he couldn't deal with anything else at the moment.

Misery had developed over Dean to the point where it physically hurt. He had lost Kim at the time he needed her the most. He knew he loved Kim a long time ago. It was everything about her that made her special, not just her abilities. It was her rare smile, how accomplished Dean would feel when he managed to get one out of her. He would enjoy it while it lasted, for they were quick and rare but they managed to brighten whatever room she was in. It was her eyes, her boring brown eyes that seemed so intricate to him. It was her laugh and how genuine it always was. It was the fact that she scars over her body that she had no idea how she got them. It was everything about her and he was never going to see them again.

Never would he be able to tell her how he really felt, not caring about if she felt the same way or not cause it wouldn't change how he felt. He was never going to get an opportunity to tell her ever again, cause the world kept ending and they had a responsibility to not let it and each time he saw he thought that maybe that day would be the day, but another person died or Kim would be too busy diving into research that could have waited five minutes for him to explain how he felt, but it never did. He was just glad that he had the courage to kiss her before she left; if he didn't it would have been a decision he regretted for the rest of his life.

Dean looked up to the sky, choking back sobs and tears, hoping that God would take pity on him for once in his life and send him something good. He was so exhausted and miserable that he had nowhere else to turn, and as his eyes gazed the stars he looked for the brightest and prayed that it was Kim.

"Please..." he begged, "I can't... I need some help. I need her. Please?"

He looked to the sky with watery eyes, unknowingly letting more than one slip, but he knew that his begging were useless. God didn't care that he was suffering, but he prayed that maybe a piece of God heard him and would take mercy on his sore and tired soul, but the night stayed silent and the sky stayed the same depressing colour. Nothing had changed and Dean had pleaded into empty hope.

Dean sighed and licked his lips, looking down from the unsympathetic sky and dropped his beer. He scoffed to himself for a sweet second before looking up, now realising his attempt was pathetic and useless.

A heavy weight pressed down on his neck and shoulders, a dead weight that caused him to stumble forwards a few steps. A weight that attached itself to his neck, dragging him forward. Instinctively, his hands wrapped around the weight in from of him and held it up. His hands wrapped around a familiar waist and felt petite arms draped around his neck. Dean looked down on the person that had fallen upon him for support and his eyes met with the pale face of an angel - Goddess - he thought he would never see again.

Instantly, a wide smile of relief fell upon his face and he enthusiastically lulled her into his supportive arms, letting her limp body fall over him. He hadn't broken eye contact with her as he held her closely. She was barely alive, but Dean saw her chest rise and fall ever so weakly and it was enough for him to hope. With a small whimper releasing from his throat as he struggled to hold back his tears of pure bliss.

The weight of the world he had felt only moments ago didn't matter because she was here and everything was going to be alright. No matter what the world was drowning him in at that time, he could continue, he could peruse, all he needed to know was that Kim was alive and in his arms where she felt safest; where he felt complete.

He looked up the sky with his smile plastered on his lips as a small gesture of gratitude, but what he didn't know was that God had not sent her to him, he would never bother. It was Kim who heard Dean's plea and with the little energy she had left, she unconsciously conjured herself to the closest thing she had to home.


	63. Chapter Sixty-One

That night, Dean had gently placed Kim in the spare room in Bobby's house. He draped her over the covered bed and delicately let her head fall onto a pillow. Her limp arm fell over her body as she fell into a curled position on the bed. Dean had spent that night by Kim's side, head hung between his arms with heated skin. So many things overwhelmed Dean, the absolute exultation of having Kim back from what could only be worse than Hell and the total pressure of the humanities existence weighed him down.

That night was months ago and Kim had not moved from that position and Dean had not stayed by Kim's side for as long as he wanted for the Apocalypse hadn't waited therefore he could neither.

Dean was not there when it happened, he walked in days later with the thought that she would be the same as when he left her, but something was very different. A clear film of silky sheer domed over the bed and protected Kim as she laid in a comatose state.

Dean stepped closer, the dim light from outside the room reflected on the film. As he gained near, he saw clouds floating below the film like it was an atmosphere, protecting them from drifting away. Grass covered Kim's still body like moss and surrounded a body of water. Tiny plants of all kinds littered the grass, trees and shrubs, flowers of Kim's own design grew from her body.

A world of her own description grew on her body. Nature she had created and an atmosphere that was similar to the one created by God, and she had finally separated herself from the angels. She had created life; life that could defy all the rules she had never known.

Dean placed his hand against the shield. It was soft and warm; when he pressed down, it gave a small amount of way. He couldn't touch her like he used to. He couldn't hold her hand and check her pulse, give her a soft kiss before he left her for a while. He could only stay by her, but it was good enough for him.

He had no idea about what happened to her when Lucifer took her, all the pain he put her though. He could only imagine what she went through for her to be put in such a drastic state. He would spend hours just looking at her, making sure she hadn't stopped breathing. It was what he feared when he was away, that she would just stop breathing and be left on the bed until Bobby or himself went to check upon her next.

But even worse, he feared she'd never wake up. How awful it would be, to be stuck on this earth full of pain and exhaustion and never be set free. Stuck in a world full of pain and there was nothing she could do about it. Dean feared that she would never wake up and that she would be trapped in her pained body until the end. How awful he would feel, leaving her like that. He feared that she would have to live through the Apocalypse without the knowledge of who won or ever being able to help. He feared that if she didn't wake up, he would have to find a way to put her out of her misery.

Kim's eyes had flickered open. Her brown eyes quickly adjusted to the dark room she was in. The windows in her room were covered and had no idea where she was. She didn't know how long she was out or where she was. The last thing she remembered was Lucifer's loud footsteps consuming her as he marched towards her paralysed body. She remembered pain and torture that overpowered anything she had ever felt before. She remembered the grace inside her burning her, killing her. She remembered failing.

Kim's muscles were stiff as she moved to swing her legs off the bed. She was surprised that she felt no pain as she moved. She expected a searing strike to writhe through her leg as she placed her foot carefully on the floor to steady herself, but she felt normal. All sense of unnecessary pain had vanished from her body.

Wiping her eyes, she stood. The film in front of her disappearing at her own touch, the grass that covered her died at her awakening and brushed off her as she moved, the water turned black and drained on the floor and she moved to the door. Carefully, before she peeked out, she felt around her clothes for a weapon to protect her, but she was unarmed. Huffing silently, she slowly tilted her head out of the door and looked down the familiar hallway, but her head was still so dazed that she hadn't recognised it was Bobby's house or even the voices she heard in the basement. Taking a cautious step outside the room, Kim followed the voices to some stairs leading down towards a basement.

"So you're saying I'm not strong enough," a familiar voice breathed. Kim had instantly recognised the voice and she sent herself sprinting down the stairs and towards the voice.

"You're angry, you're self-righteous. Lucifer's gonna wear you to the prom, man. It's just a matter of time," another familiar voice said. This one was lower, rougher. Kim swallowed a lump in her throat, something about the voice lured her in and she took a step towards the dark room.

"Don't say that to me. Not you..." a voice breath, obviously pained and distressed, "of all people."

"I don't want to," the rough voice said. Kim listened inventively, not taking a step down until she was certain of who was down there. "But it's the truth, and when Satan takes you over, there's got to be somebody there to fight him, and it ain't gonna be that kid. So, it's got to be me." Kim listened to the words and the familiar voice and started to run. She ran as fast as she could down the stairs. Her hears finally letting her process the familiar voice and register who it was. The Winchesters were down there.

Kim sprinted down the stairs, running as fast as she could towards them. She felt such a sense of relief hearing their voices. They meant safety, they meant home.

Kim ran towards the safe room where the door was left open. She saw a familiar, tall figure standing near the centre of the room, looking at his older brother who was cuffed to the bed. Kim smiled softly at the sight of them before moving towards them.

"Sam. Dean," she breathed, stepping into the room. All heads snapped towards her and she watched their expressions. The soft joy she once held disappeared as she looked between them. The Winchester's did mean home, but they also meant the end of the world, and Kim waking wasn't going to end the Apocalypse.

Kim looked at Sam, whose eyes were watering. Kim was so invested in listening and recognising the voices, that she hadn't registered what they were talking about. Sam looked to Kim, his eyes threatening to let a tear spill. Without a welcoming word, Sam shoved past Kim and out of the safe room, leaving Kim and Dean alone.

Kim watched as he marched out before slowly turning to Dean, whose eyes had been locked on Kim since she had come into his line of sight. Her skin wasn't so pale anymore and the black bag under her eyes had almost disappeared. Her bony body had gained some weight and she looked healthy. Dean moved to stand up, but the cuff prevented him from getting as close to her as he would like.

Words can't describe how glad Dean was to see Kim awake. He couldn't take his eyes off of her, afraid that if he did, he would look and find her back on the bed she was laying in only minutes ago.

"What was that?" Kim asked, looking to Dean, but he hadn't heard a word that left her mouth. He just smiled slightly and stared at her.

"Come here," he said in a low tone, but it was clear that his voice was full of relief. Kim looked at him and moved towards him, feeling herself get pulled into a one-handed hung that pressed her tightly into Dean's chest. She heard his sigh and felt his warm breath on her neck as he pressed his head into the crook of her neck. Dean looked at her as if she was the only thing keeping him sane.

"I'm so glad you're here," he said, feeling the water coming into his eyes. As she moved apart from him, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. Kim looked up at him with furrowed eyebrows.

"How long was I out?" Kim huffed a laugh, but it was nothing to laugh about. It was the worst time of Dean's life.

"Too long," he breathed, still looking at her in awe.

"Why are you in here?" she asked, now realising they were in Bobby's safe room. Dean went to open his mouth but Kim quickly cut him off. "Don't bullshit me," she added. She stared at Dean who was still content on telling his lie, but she held his lie in between his teeth until he sighed, willing to tell the truth.

"I— uh," he stammered, scratching the back of his neck and Kim instantly knew that it was worse than she thought. "I'm going to say 'yes' to Michael."

"What?" Kim partially scoffed in disbelief.

"I'm going to say 'yes' to Micheal—"

"No, I heard you the first time. I was giving you a chance to fix your mistake," Kim growled. "Are you an idiot? No wonder they have you cuffed to a bed," Kim argued, throwing her hands up. Dean huffed and sat down as Kim took a step back.

"Nice to have you back, Kim," Dean scoffed.

"Nice to be back." Kim looked at Dean as he hung his head. Scratching the back of her neck, she stood between Dean's legs, forcing him to look up at her. "You do that and the world ends. No matter what way the angel put it, the world will end. Worse, you die." Kim took a deep breath in. Dean looked at Kim and saw something different. Her eyes weren't as brown as they were before, and although she looked physically healthier, she seemed more tired and helpless.

"What happened with Lucifer?" Dean asked. "I thought you were dead." Kim let out a low sigh before getting herself out from between Dean's legs.

"So did I."

•※•

Kim walked up the stairs from the basement as Cas passed him, walking down the stairs past her. He watched her as they passed, his eyes grazing over her figure. It was evident to him that something within her had changed. Her soul was different from what he saw before, yet he wasn't sure how so.

They walked past without any interaction and Kim found her way upstairs to find Bobby in his wheelchair and Sam standing by him, an unfamiliar figure lying in a couch near a window in Bobby's study. As Kim walked up from the basement, all eyes turned to her. Bobby sighed of relief when he saw her standing on her own feet.

"You're up," Bobby stated as he looked at her, but she just nodded. The longer she was awake, the more she realised how close everything was to breaking. She hadn't known how long she was out, but it was enough for everything to get out of hand. There was no time for the Winchesters to sympathise with her just as there was no time for her to explain how horrid Lucifers true form was.

"Who's he?" Kim asked, looking at the asleep figure in the other room. Sam looked to him before retiring his glance back to Kim.

"His name's Adam. He's our half-brother and apparently the angles next choice for Michaels' vessel," Sam sighed as she wandered over to them.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"He is our blood. Cas said that they might consider making him the vessel since Dean won't," Sam nodded and Kim started to walk over to the boy that slept on the couch.

"John had another son?" Kim asked roughly.

"Yeah," Sam breathed, "he did." There was a shrieking noise that emitted from the basement, sending a panic look between the three of them.

"What was that?" Kim asked quickly, feeling behind her jacket for a gun that wasn't there.

"I don't know." The two of them marched downstairs, their feet pounding on the floor as they sprinted to the safe room. The door was swung open and a symbol painted in blood covered the door of an empty cupboard along with an empty room. They both instantly recognised the now familiar symbol. Dean had sent Cas away in a chance to escape.

"Where's Cas?" Bobby asked as the two of them marched back upstairs, gathering their things as they went in order to try and find Dean.

"Blown to Oz," Sam said.

"We're going to find Dean," Kim stated as she grabbed her jacket, pulling out a gun from the duffel bag they kept for her and checking the ammo.

"Just watch Adam," Sam continued.

"How? You may have noticed, he's got a slight height advantage," Bobby huffed, talking about his wheelchair.

"Then cuff him to your chair. I don't know. Just watch him," Sam hurried as he pulled Kim along, dragging her towards the door. The two of them exited in a hurry, running towards whatever car worked and hopping in as quickly as they could.

•※•

The two of them had been gone for hours, searching the local streets for Dean, hoping he hadn't wandered too far. The car was silent as they drove, no music was on as they searched, the situation was too intense for them to enjoy it. They feared Dean had already found a way to contact the angles, even worse, the angles had found him. They feared that he would have said 'yes' to Michael before they found him; before he could think rationally about his decision.

Sam looked over to Kim as she looked out the window, searching for Dean. He too could see the difference in her, but it wasn't as intensely as Dean or Cas had noticed. His eyes glanced to her every now and then, quickly gathering her facial features and registering them. Kim felt his glances at her, she could feel how he looked at her as he drives, his curious glares. Kim slowly looked to him but he didn't avert his gaze.

"What?" she asked as she looked at him. She could see his gaze was curious. He didn't answer at first, still trying to decide what was different about her. He sighed and looked back to the road for a second before reconnecting their eye contact.

"What happened to you?" he asked gently, causing Kim to scoff. It was a reaction he was used to getting from her when he brought something like that up. She wouldn't respond genuinely to questions about her wellbeing.

"Long story," she huffed and Sam shrugged at her comment.

"I got time," Sam shrugged and Kim rolled her eyes, retiring to look out the window. She really didn't want to talk about it because it would only recover memories she was having a hard time burying. "You almost died, Kim. Lucifer must have done something, I mean, you're not supposed to die."

"It wasn't Lucifer," Kim breathed, looking down.

"What? Then who!" he asked in a hurry, looking to her for a long time before switching to the road so that he didn't crash. "Don't tell me those God damned angels—"

"No," Kim interrupted. "I did it to myself." Sam looked to Kim slowly.

"What are you talking about?"

"I don't know, Sam. I just did. I saw his face and it was just so... horrendous. I can't explain it," she stammered. "I—"

"You saw his face?" Sam asked, appealed. "His real face?" Kim looked to him slowly, an expression on well-hidden fear settled across her face.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I drained all my power on him. I almost killed him Sam, but I— I couldn't hold on any longer." She was so disgusted with herself and Sam listened to her tone, what once was slightly fearful was no full of disgust and hatred. "I should have. I should have just let myself die," she scoffed at herself, disgusted by her weak and selfish actions. Sam looked at her softly. He didn't blame her, not at all, but they said nothing else for the rest of the ride.

•※•

"Bobby, what do you mean, 'Adam is gone?'" Sam asked loudly as they faced Bobby back at his house, they were unsuccessful in finding Dean, so when they returned to find that Adam was gone and that things had gotten worse, they were on edge.

"Should I say it in Spanish?" Bobby sassed as he looked up at Sam.

"He's gone, how? What the hell, Bobby?!" Sam shrugged, running his hands through his hair anxiously.

"Watch your tone, boy," Bobby warned. "He was right in front of me, and he disappeared into thin air." Sam growled and stepped back. Kim sighed and took a seat, but quickly shot out of the way as Castile appeared, hauling a beaten and bloody Dean to the couch she was sitting on.

"Help," Cas exclaimed as he threw a limp Dean on the couch. "The Angels took him."

"What the hell happened to him," Kim asked as she walked over to him, looking down on his bloodied face and bruised body.

"Me," Cas stated, looking Kim in the eye. He squinted at her as they stated but she shifted gaze before he could comment.

"What do you mean, the angels took Adam? You branded his ribs, didn't you?" Bobby asked as Kim moved from Dean and towards Castiel.

"Yes. Adam must have tipped them," he stated.

"How?"

"I don't know. Maybe in a dream," Castiel sighed.

"Do we know where they took him?" Kim asked looking at Castiel who looked away in thought.

•※•

Sam and Kim carried Dean down into the safe room again, cuffing him to the same steal bed he was on before. Both of them decided to wait in the safe room for him to wake up, both talking slightly as they waited. Kim was distracted as they talked, the only thing in her mind was Lucifer's true form. She knew that she would never be able to distract herself enough to forget it.

As they talked, Dean woke. "How are you feeling?" Sam asked as they looked to him shuffle in his spot, slightly tugging on the cuffs on his wrists.

"Word to the wise: don't piss off the nerd angels," Dean grouched. "So how's it going?"

"Adam's gone. The angels have him," Sam sighed.

"Where?"

"The room where they took us," Kim described. Her description wasn't very detail, but he knew instantly where she meant.

"You sure?"

"Cas did a recon."

"And?"

"And the place is crawling with mooks... Pretty much a no-shot-in-hell, hail-Mary kind of thing," Sam said as Dean sighed.

"Ah, so the usual. What are you going to do?" Dean asked. Sam looked to Kim before getting up and walking to his brother softly. Throughout the whole time he was in the room, his eyes had been soft.

"For starters..." Sam said, "I'm bringing you with."

"Excuse me?" Sam unlocked the cuffs of Dean's hand, releasing him. Dean rubbed his wrist as he pulled them out. "There are too many of them. We can't do it alone. And uh, you're pretty much the only game in town," Sam sighed, taking his seat back down.

"Me? You have a Goddess by your side and you're taking me?" Dean scoffed, turning to Kim.

"It's hard to explain," Kim huffed angrily, looking down hating that she had to think about it again. Dean looked to Sam but he just shook his head.

"Letting me come. Isn't that a bad idea?" Dean asked, changing the subject, but he still looked at him causing her not to look up.

"Cas and Bobby think so. We're not so sure," Sam explained.

"Well, they're right. Because either it's a trap to get me there to make me say yes, or it's not a trap and I'm gonna say yes anyway. And I will. I'll do it. Fair warning," Dean warned and Sam looked up for a sweet second, a small smile on his lips.

"No, you won't. When push shoves, you'll make the right call," Sam said, rather assured.

"You know, if tables were turned... I'd let you rot in here. Hell, I have let you rot in here," Dean replied to Sam. Kim felt his gaze move form her to Sam and she somehow felt a little safer to look up.

"Yeah, well... I guess I'm not that smart," Sam sighed, standing up from his seat.

"I—I don't get it. Sam, why are you doing this?" Dean asked as he watched Sam and Kim start to walk away.

"Because... you're still my big brother."

•※•

Kim, Dean, Sam and Cas walked up behind a big, grey warehouse that was vandalised with different coloured tags and graffiti. Following Castiel up to a small, well camouflaged back door, the three of them looked around confused to where they were.

"Where the hell are we?" Dean asked as they walked, looking around suspiciously.

"Van Nuys, California," Castiel replied darkly. He strongly disagreed with bringing Dean along, sure that he was going to start the end of the world. Just as Kim had felt Dean's gaze upon her ever so often, she also saw the daggers Cas started into Dean with scepticism and faithlessness.

"Where's the beautiful room?" Dean asked stupidly.

"In there," Cas pointed to the warehouse. It was quite ironic that such a pristine place would be held inside such a dirty, abandoned warehouse that smelt of wet hay.

"The beautiful room is in an abandoned muffler factory in Van Nuys, California?" Dean asked.

"Where'd you think it was?" Cas asked in a dull tone.

"I—I don't know. Jupiter? A blade of grass? Not Van Nuys," Dean scoffed as he looked around.

"Can you remind me why you don't just grab Adam and shazam out of there?" Kim asked as the reached the door.

"Yeah, why don't you?" Dean asked, his eyes turned to Kim. She hadn't told him what happened when Lucifer took her away because he had dropped the subject but he brought it up every time he could. She hadn't told him that using her abilities was slowly killing her. She hadn't told him that she had failed and let Lucifer live in her own selfish greed for a life she hated living. She was scared he would look at her in such disgust that he wouldn't be able to look at her the same ever again, so he continued to overestimate her control over her power and how well she could use them. He didn't understand that she was getting weaker every time she used them. He didn't understand that her power had control over her, not the other way around.

"Cut it out, Dean," Kim hissed, looking down.

"Oh, come on-"

"I said, drop it," Kim reinforced roughly. Dean looked at Kim, about to continue when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked to see a warning glare from Sam, causing him to growl to a stop and let Castiel continue to explain.

"We're not finished talking about this," he warned.

"There are at least five angels in there," Cas explained.

"So? You're fast," Dean scoffed.

"They're faster." Castiel took off his tie and wrapped it around his palm. "I'll clear them out. You two grab the boy. This is our only chance."

"Whoa, wait. You're gonna take on five angels?" Dean asked, shocked.

"Yes."

"Isn't that suicide?" Dean said, but it wasn't a question, it was more of a statement that all four of them knew was true.

"Maybe it is. But then I won't have to watch you fail," Cas spat as he moved closer to Dean, Cas staring into Dean's eyes with a glare filled with unfaithfulness. "I'm sorry, Dean. I don't have the same faith in you that Sam and Kim do." Castiel pulled out a Stanley knife from his pocket and held it out as his single arm of defence.

"What are you going to do with that?" Kim asked, but he hadn't answered when he looked at her, his expression had changed completely and walked into the warehouse, without another word. The three of them waited outside for an unknown signal for them to enter.

The three of them passed looks as they waited, only stopping when a flash of light erupted from the room, shining from under the warehouse door to the outside so that they could see. Sending one more cautious look to each other before Dean pressed his back to the warehouse door before slowly pressing it open. He cautiously stuck his head through the slightly opened door and only when he deciphered if the room was rid of all angles was when he and the others proceeded.

The three of them crept across the large room and towards a small boxed room that was in the centre of the warehouse. The floor was concrete and stained with blood as they stepped over a dead angle's body, his ashed wings embedded in the ground. Dean pressed his back to the smaller room before the door, slowly creeping it open to see what and who was in there.

A bright light illuminated the dark warehouse as Dean sneaked into the room. Sam and Kim stayed hidden as Dean ran over to Adam, bleeding from his mouth in the corner over a puddle of his own crimson.

"Adam, hey, hey." They heard Dean trying to sooth Adam as he rushed over to him.

"You came for me," Adam breathed, blood spilling from his lips.

"Yeah, well, you're family," Dean continued.

"Dean, it's a trap," Adam warned with Kim and Sam listening, causing them to stand in defence. Sam held an angel blade in his hand, ready to attach whenever an angel came out, but before that he looked to Kim and she clenched her hands into a fist.

"You sure you're up for this?" Sam asked her and she huffed to herself.

"Too late to back out now," she smirked, looking at him before turning their attention back onto the task at hand. They listened as a flap of angels wings came from above them, signalling for them to sneak into the room. They sneaked in and saw the familiar angles of Zachariah standing before Dan as he held up a struggling and limp Adam in his arms.

"Dean, please. Did you really think it would be that easy?" Zach sassed as he looked to Dean disappointingly.

"Did you?" Dean questioned, causing Sam to charge towards Zach with the angel blade high and ready to use; but as quickly as Sam had charged, Zach had turned around and sent him flying into the wall behind him. Kim watched as he flew into the wall and she was suddenly struck with the realisation that it was now up to her to defeat Zach, but before she could even think of a defence, he had sent her flying just as hard into the same wall as Sam, causing her to tumble next to him.

"No!" Dean screamed as he watched them.

"You know what I've learned from this experience, Dean? Patience." Zachariah waved his hand and Adam falls form Dean's arms and onto the floor in a heap, starting to cough up blood.

"Adam?" Dean breathed as he watched him choke up blood. "Let him go, you son of a bitch."

"I mean, I thought I was downsized for sure. And for us, a firing... pretty damn literal. But I should have trusted the boss man. It's all playing out like he said... You, me, your haemorrhaging brothers and girlfriend," Zachariah turned to Kim and Sam, sending them into a coughing fit.

Kim felt a rising of blood from her stomach enter her mouth causing her to cough it up. The warm liquid painfully spilled from her mouth, creating a pool beneath her.

"You're finally ready, right?" Dean looked between Sam, Kim and Adam. He could see the pain they felt in their eyes. Sam's eyes started to water and his face started to get red form the coughing, his lips stained red from the blood, but what Dean didn't know was that Kim had felt nothing. Her stomach was tearing itself apart, forcing her to cough up the lining of her stomach, letting it fall through her lips as chunks of her flesh slipped past and she had felt nothing. This was painless, numbing compared to the torment Kim had felt the other day; but she could see in Dean's eyes that he took pity.

"You know there's no other choice. There's never been a choice," Zachariah teased as Dean became stuffy. Watching his family suffer was despicable and no one should have to go through that.

"Stop it. Stop it right now!" Dean demanded weakly, his eyes watering.

"In exchange for what?" Zach continued, tauntingly. Dean looked to Sam, who was watching as blood dripped down his chin, waiting for his brother to make the right decision.

"Damn it, Zachariah. Stop it, please," Dean begged. "I'll do it."

"I'm sorry. What was that?"

"Okay, yes. The answer is yes!" Dean growled, avoiding eye contact with his brother.

"Dean!" Sam shouted in protest. Kim coughed out a chunk of flesh from her mouth and wiped her lips, leaving a heap of blood on her wrist. Stumbling, she stood up. She was light-headed, but the pain was nothing to her but the two of them couldn't see Kim shake to her feet.

"Do you hear me? Call Michael down, you bastard!" Dean screamed, his face reddening as Zachariah looked at him cautiously.

"How do I know you're not lying?" he asked sceptically.

"Do I look like I'm lying?" Dean breathed. It didn't. Not at all. Every inch of his face screamed 'yes' towards Michael. His wet eyes, his red face, his exhausted expression. He just looked so tired. A smirk appeared on Zachariah's lips as he turned his head upwards towards the roof and chanting his Enochian call towards the sky, so excited that he hadn't seen the waddling Kim coming towards him.

"He's coming," Zachariah smirked as the room started to shake, a piercing light and a blinding light started to emit from the heavens, something that didn't seem to bother Kim at all as it didn't seem so bright as it did before. Sam looked to Dean in disbelief and betrayal as they waited for Michael to arrive, the utter betrayal Dean saw on his face as blood continued to spill. He watched his brothers expression when he noticed Kim's figure was missing from the heap on the floor. Looking up, he saw Kim as she stumbled towards him. Dean's gaze kept switching between Kim and Sam, before making their final destination on Sam's eyes. Dean looked at his brother before his lips changed into a smile and he sent him a wink.

"Of course, I have a few conditions," Dean said obviously.

"What?"

"The few people whose safety you have to guarantee before I say 'yes'," Dean said as he crossed his arms.

"Sure, fine. Make a list," Zach shrugged.

"But most of all... Michael can't have me until he disintegrates you." Dean smiled into his words as he spoke them, satisfied with the expression on Zach's face.

"What did you say?" Zach scoffed.

"I said... before Michael gets one piece of this sweet ass... he has to turn you into a piece of charcoal," Dean said firmly, causing Zach to scoff unconfidently,

"You really think Michael's gonna go for that?" he scoffed.

"Who's more important to him now? You... or me?" Dean asked, stalling for time as Kim wandered towards Zachariah, who had suddenly become extremely defensive.

"You listen to me. You are nothing but a maggot inside a worm's ass. Do you know who I am... after I deliver you to Michael?" Zach asked.

"Expendable," Dean smirked.

"Michael's not gonna kill me," Zach said slightly confident, and Dean shrugged.

"Maybe not, but I know who will." Kim had made her way behind Zachariah and with the angel bald Sam had entered with, she stabbed Zachariah through his head. He fell to the floor, his wings ashed into the ground of the delicate room as it slowly started to fall apart as the white light and noise grew.

"Can you walk?" Dean asked Adam on the floor next to him as he helped Adam off the ground.

"Yeah," he replied as he let go of Dean, steadying himself as the last bit of blood dripped from his mouth.

"Okay, come on," Dean said as he scooped Kim to his side, dragging her outside the room as Sam and Adam stumbled their own way towards the door.

"Come on, move it!" Kim's feet were dragging as Dean pulled her towards the door just in time, making sure to get Sam and Kim out in time.

Before Dean could turn around and grab Adam, the door to the room slammed shut, leaving Adam trapped inside the room.

"No! Dean! Help! It won't open!" Adam screamed from the inside, but the noise was quickly drowning him out. Dean reached the doorknob but the light from inside was getting so intense as it came out of the cracks between the door and the wall, heating up the door handle to an unbelievable heat. "Dean, help! Dean!"

"Hold on! We'll get you out. Just hold on. Adam! Can you hear me?!" Dean screamed as the light and sound just become too intense and Dean and to shield his eyes from the light. Kim wasn't fazed by the light or the noise, ad she realised that she wasn't affected as Sam and Dean were as the covered their eyes and ears. Kim stumbled to her feet once more and jogged to the door, grabbing the door handle as the light inside the room reached its brightest point, but by the pain, Kim had opened the door, the light had just faded and they were left with an empty room.

Kim stumbled back on her feet, catching herself before she fell. Dean walked into the empty room as his eyes recovered from the light.

"Adam?"


	64. Chapter Sixty-Two

Kim knew she was never going to feel normal again. Every part of her felt indecorous and dirty, no matter what she would do she would always feel that way. Along with her ongoing suffer and torment and she would never feel clean.

Lucifer haunted her with every move she made. His true face threatening her every time she closed her eyes and whenever his name was mentioned. It was something she could never run from. He had embedded himself into her nightmares and every form of pain she had. He was just another wave of suffering Kim had to add to the list she already carried, and just like what she had done with every other form of torture she had endured, she had pushed it down and away, never to be spoken from her lips, but always lingering in her mind. Lucifer was something Kim could not rip from her mind.

Sam had spoken to Dean throughout the weeks but she wished he hadn't. The only benefit was the release of pressure Dean put on Kim and her abilities but from that night on, whenever she looked into Dean's eyes for comfort, she saw pity. Pity for a child who couldn't deal with her own problems and had to force everyone to comfort her. She didn't want their pity or their comfort. He had tried to talk to Kim, but when he approached her with a cool tone and a sympathetic voice, she didn't see Dean. She saw a man riddled with obligations to comfort the weak. So after she made it clear that she was not a child and not to be treated any different from before, Dean nodded firmly, his unfamiliar eyes switching to the hard and domestic eyes she had grown to love

She wanted things to go back to normal, where Dean would subconsciously glance at Kim and she would pretend not to notice, where she could go back to feeling some sense of cleanliness even with all the blood on her hand. Those days were over and Kim knew it.

Life for the three had slowly started to fall back into routine and Kim had started to suppress everything about the last few weeks the best that she could and once again, on her own terms, she had gained back the grieving weight. Sam had started to notice the closeness between Kim and Dean. The casual kisses and hand wrapped around the waist, more frequent 'be careful's' and whatnot and it was something Sam was glad to see, it brought back a bit of humanity into the air.

The night they lost Adam, Dean had made it clear that they were taking the fight to the angels and they were going to do it their way so destiny can shove it. It was surprising at how those few words in that short sentence could change the entire mood of the whole operation where one minute the three of them were drowning in pressure and the other they are motivated to fight, no matter the consequences, no matter the pain.

The three of them had been spending their time trying to find Adam in hopes that he hadn't become Micheal's next choice in meals, not only for humanity's sake but also for Dean's. Their search had been unsuccessful, as to be expected when working against two archangels, but just like every other adversity, they soldiered through as they were taught.

After Dean had discovered what put her in a stupors state, he no longer questioned Kim's minimal use of her abilities yet he still didn't understand the lack of control she had, but unlike before, he hadn't brought it up. Kim thought it was extremely cold of Dean not to understand how burdensome and difficult God's grace was to control. It was harder than she could put into words. To control and to use and two very different things Dean didn't understand the difference of.

Hunts had been going on as normal and Kim had not traded her guns and knives for her grace, considering they worked better. Her trusty iron knife was always by her side along with her demon blade, maybe even a handgun tucked under her coat. Even though it wasn't, things seemed to be getting back to normal. Hunting creatures instead of demons and angels and getting back to a normal routine of research and kill, salt and burn type of thing.

They had been on a few salts and burn throughout the weeks and it was surprising how easy they found it now. Little stabs and gashes no longer bothered Kim and bullet wounds were just as painless. Kim had gathered a limp after a ghoul had bitten into her leg, but it was nothing a few stitches, a bottle of whisky and a bit of dirt couldn't fix. Kim's numbness to pain worried Sam and Dean as the severity of Lucifer's actions started to skin in, but like always, whenever either of them confronted her about it, she shut it down majorly, brushing it off as a benefit that she was numb.

Kim and Dean had just stumbled back from a vampire hunt Kim had found, and just like the good old days, there was more than they anticipated. With Sam doing research on how to magically somehow stop the Apocalypse, they hadn't bothered going to the local library to tell him they were going on a hunt.

It was nothing they couldn't handle. If they were going to take on the Apocalypse they were certainly not going to be bothered by some bloodsuckers, but some bloodsuckers turned out to be a lot of bloodsuckers and they exited with some injuries. Dean's ankle was busted, along with gashed on his forearm and torso while Kim's shoulder was out of place, a scratch that was sure to leave a scar on her thigh and a couple of bruises to the face and chest.

Dean leaned on Kim as she guided him to the motel the three of them were sharing. He stumbled with her as she held him against her as he dragged one leg behind him. Her hand pressed his waist to her as she held him up, the small grunts from Dean escaping his mouth as he plonked him on a kitchen chair. Kim moaned slightly as the weight of Dean released from her side and she felt a tension release from her shoulder. She fell against a wall as she moaned, her hand placed on her chest to stop her shoulder from screaming.

"I need you to pop my shoulder back in, Dean," Kim sighed as she rolled it around, feeling the satisfaction of the pain. Dean sighed as he wiped away the sweat from his forehead and brushing off some of the splattered blood from his clothes.

"Kim, I can't get up," Dean groaned as he massaged his ankle.

"I know, but I can't pop it in myself," Kim growled lowly, using her hand to try and push it back into place. She even tried to throw it against the wall to add more pressure to persuade it back into place. Dean looked up from his ankle when he heard the repetitive bumps against the wall of Kim's attempt to fix herself.

"Okay, stop that."

"I almost got it," she said as she hit it again, harder this time.

"Kim, stop."

"Wait a second." She threw herself into the wall again and Dea felt the room shake.

"Stop!"

"What, it doesn't hurt," Kim scoffed, throwing her shoulder back into the wall, another thump sent throughout the motel. Dean cringed as he felt the vibrations. She hadn't realised how hard she was hitting her shoulder.

"Yeah, I know that. Just stop," Dean demanded roughly, his tone stopping Kim as she was about to send herself against the wall again. She looked to Dean who looked down slightly, before quickly looking back at Kim. His viscous green eyes met her, reminding her of the first time she had seen his eyes, truly seen and appreciated them. He was younger and his lips were softer and fuller, his jaw was softer and his skin was cleaner, but his eyes had changed the most. His once young, round, vibrant green eyes were darker in colour and hooded; but they were still perfect. "Come here," he instructed, not moving from his seated position. Kim furrowed her eyebrows at him and took only one step closer before stopped.

"What are you gonna do?" she asked quickly, not sure what he was getting at.

"I'm gonna pop your shoulder back in."

"Sitting down?"

"Yes."

Kim nodded and took another chair from the table and placed it in front of Dean's seat before taking a seat in it. She faced Dean, his dark eyes and stubble crossed her mind as she looked before quickly turning away. "Make it quick."

"Yes ma'am," he smirked, leaning over to grab her shoulder. Their knees touched in a preventing way. Dean shuffled forward as he placed his hands on her shoulder blades, but at his angle, he hadn't enough momentum or the correct placement on her shoulder to put it back in the correct position.

"Your knees are in the way," he huffed, trying to shuffle closer, but their knees butted against each other and Dean couldn't get close enough for his liking.

"Sorry, let me just remove them," Kim scoffed, taking her knees and tucking her legs underneath her in the hope it would make enough room for him. Dean shuffled again, angling his chair to try and meet the correct angle to pop her shoulder back in, but his ankle screamed at him to stop. He hissed in pain and annoyance as he tried to get close enough to do the job without hurting his ankle even more than it already was.

With frustration, he moved and grabbed Kim's hips and dragged her onto his lap with a motion too quick for Kim to register. Her legs fell on either side of Dean as she straddled him. Their chest pressed closer together as she shuffled to get comfortable. His hands hadn't moved from her hips as he caressed her softly. She was finally close enough.

She looked down as she arched her back slightly, meeting eyes with Dean who dragged his hands up her body, along her waist and to her shoulder where he found the perfect position to place his hands. They hadn't lost eye contact as he enclosed his hands around her shoulder.

"On three," Dean said softly, causing Kim to nod. "One." Dean snapped her shoulder into place, causing her to suck in a breath, shut her eye and suppress a groan as a strike of pain shot down her arm. Kim swallowed a lump in her throat as she sighed, placing her face in the crook of Dean's neck as she endured the pain. She stayed there for a while. He was warm and cozy, she took comfort in his breath hitting her skin. She looked up and her eyes slowly opening. His hand hadn't moved from her body after he was finished and Kim shuffled unknowingly, causing Dean to press his lips into a line and release a soft groan.

Dean leant up and pressed a kiss to her lips. She pressed into the kiss, their hot lips moving together in harmony. At that moment, the whole world stopped. There was nothing more important to each other than each other, and the comfort they took being so close made them forget that the world was ending.

"I should probably fix your ankle," Kim breathed, feeling his breath on her as he groaned as she removed herself from the kiss, "don't you think?" Dean nodded, but his grip didn't leave her and she had noticed his resistance. She rolled her shoulder, feeling it back in the correct position before getting off of Dean, but he actions caused him to move his hands back down to her waist and hold her there, tighter than her shoulder. Kim watched Dean's hands as Dean watched Kim's brown eyes, whose eyes were no longer brown, instead, they were two perfect orbs the shade of a scorched willow tree and in the light, a shade of whisky sparkled through them. Eyes that were more complex than others would admit.

"You're gonna have to let go of me if you want me to fix it," Kim smirked, placing her hand over Dean's, whose eyes stared into hers. His lips slightly apart as he stared at her in a moment of reverence.

"Do I have to?"

•※•

The rain was tempestuous as the drove down the dead highway. They were abused by loud thumps as the rain hailed down on the top of the Impala, clearing every other sound that they might have been able to hear. Dean parked the Impala in the car park of a flash hotel that seemed to appear out of nowhere on a highway that looked like it had been deserted for years.

Thunder crashed as they hopped out of the car, their shoes stomping in puddles as they stepped outside, their legs automatically becoming drenched in rain. None of them seemed to be bothered by the rain or the fact that their clothes were already soaked even as though they had only been in the rain for a mere few seconds. Gathering their things, they carry their bags to the entrance of the hotel.

It had been a long while since Kim or the boys had been in such a fancy motel, with shining lights that attracted customers and a bright sign that illuminated through the darkness. "Whew. Nice digs, for once," Dean huffed in amusement as he admired the elegance of the lobby. To a citizens eye, the lobby could not be considered elegant than ornate, but to the three of them, a white, unstained couch with bright lighting and service with a uniform made was elegance in itself.

The three of them waddled up to the desk, where a man with combed back hair, a red vest and a winning smile greeted them at the desk. Kim looked around and saw the lobby was littered with people.

"Busy night?" Kim asked as she looked around, nodding in approval as she talked to the man. The man smiled widely at her with a charming smile, laced with a tone of fake thoughtfulness. An aura of a mature sense of knowledge filled Kim as she looked at him and she suddenly didn't feel as casual as she had before. His charming smiled seemed plastic and his pristine posture was nightmarish.

"Any port in a storm, I guess," he chuckled as he typed away in his computer. "If you could just fill this out, please." Kim didn't respond to him as she felt an eerie feeling creep over her ass he reached for the pen. She scribbled down the information needed and just stopped when she heard the man start talking again. As she listened, even his voice started to sound twisted.

"Sir, I think... shaving nick there." Kim looked up and saw a little gash at Dean's neck, a small amount of blood spewed from a cut and out of the thinness of air, he pulled out a tissue for Dean. "Your key."

"Oh. Thanks," Kim said as she looked down and slowly took the keys from his hands, his smile chasing her as she reached for it.

"Hey, you wouldn't happen to have a coffee shop, would you?" Dean asked before they walked away.

"Buffet. All you can eat. Best pie in the tri-state area," the man smirked which caused a cheeky and enthusiastic smirk to grown on Dean's lips, where he lifted an eyebrow and nudged Sam happily.

"You don't say?"

•※•

Kim sat at the table with Sam in the buffet as Dean grabbed his pie from a table covered with different flavoured sweets, pastries, cakes and pies. The room was mildly filled with more people than one would think for a motel in the middle of nowhere. Kim sliced the piece of cake she had in front of her with her fork, unpleasantly shoving it in her mouth as she looked around the room at the place. It was quite impressive, she had to admit, and she was looking for a night off. The three of them had been non-stop for too long, and even a few hours to themselves seemed like a slice of heaven too expensive to get.

Sam looked up from his laptop as she heard Kim chop her cake and watched as she ate it, his upper lips curled slightly. Kim felt his eyes in her and raised an eyebrow, wiping the crumbs off her face with the back of her sleeve vulgarly. She was taking her free time all to leisurely but she couldn't care.

"What?" she asked, chopping another piece, stabbing it with her fork and waiting for an answer. Sam's lips fell into an unimpressed line before moving on to something more mattering.

"This is a nice hotel," he mentioned, his tone suggesting there was more to his words than what she interpreted. Kim was enjoying the night off too much to question what was going on so she raised an eyebrow and nodded, looking around.

"Yeah, guess so," she nodded but it wasn't the answer Sam wanted to hear. He rolled his eyes as Dean came to sit down next to them with surprisingly, only one slice of pie on his plate.

"Sam, unpucker, man. Eat something," Dean grunted as he sat down, taking an eager bite from his pie.

"We should hit the road, guys," Sam suggested quickly and seriously, but the two of them seemed unbothered as they ate their desserts.

"In this storm? I-it's—"

"It's biblical. Exactly. I-it's friggin' Noah's ark out there, and we're eating pie and cake," he cringed as he gestured to the two of them who were sitting side by side, both in between mid-bite.

"It's good cake," Kim defended, continuing to take her bite.

"Yeah, how many hours of sleep did you get this week? What? Three? Four?" Dean asked, shrugging. "Bobby's got his feelers out, okay? We have talked with every hoodoo man and root woman in 12 states."

It was true, the three of them were stuck in a cycle only a few hours sleep a week, too many all-nighters, beers and energy drinks and thirteen-hour drives going from one state to another to find another psychic or whatever who just ended up being fake and unhelpful.

"Yeah, well, I'm not giving up," Sam huffed.

"Nobody's giving up. Especially me. We're gonna find a way to beat the devil, okay? Soon. I can feel it. We'll find Adam. But you are no good to me burnt out," Dean continued, taking another bite.

"Yeah," Sam sighed in disbelief, a tone of hope. "Yeah, okay."

"This is our first night off in too long. Just, eat something and enjoy the fact that the bed you're sleeping in tonight probably won't have stains or a suspicious smell," Kim shrugged, finishing the cake on her plate, scraping the frosting off her plate.

The three of them finished at the buffet after Dean had another two pieces of pie and Kim finished her second beer. The two of them had enjoyed themselves at as they sat and chatted about everything but what bothered them, ignoring the questioning looks for Sam and cheered to a night off that was well deserved.

They walked to their room, admiring the well light hallways with small chandeliers hanging and a beautiful red wallpaper that made the hall loom in the crimson colour. As they reached their room, Dean spotted a new married couple making out heavily by their door, all too eager to get to their bed. Dean smiled childishly and nudged Sam and Kim before pointing to them, wigging an eyebrow.

"Oh, what are you, 12?" Sam scoffed and Kim huffed a laugh as they watched.

"I'm young at heart," Dean scoffed before entering their room and taking in the elegance that wasn't as elegant as they thought it was. Dean whistled at the immaculate state the room was in. No suspicious smells or mould crawling up the walls, no ants or rats as unwanted roommates or blood stains that seemed like they had been there for too long.

The room had three large beds in there which looked neatly tucked with clean sheets, decorated with a welcome chocolate on the pillows.

"Wow. Look at this. We're like Rockefellers," Dean smirked as he wandered forwards into the room. "Chocolates! You want yours?"

"Knock yourself out," Sam sighed as he looked around, still suspicious as Dean sent a raised eyebrow to Kim, wondering if he could have her chocolate too.

"Hell no, I want that chocolate," Kim huffed with a faint smirk on her lips. Kim reached out and took her chocolate and unwrapped it, popping it into her mouth in one full bite. With a wicked motion, Kim pulled out her hair-tie out and shook her hair loose. She hadn't let her hair down for too long and she felt the relief of releasing her hair and letting it fall wherever to wanted as she shook it without a care. Running her hands up through the front of her hair to the back, she tugged the hair out of her face as she licked her lips off the chocolate unaware that Dean's eye had been on her the whole time.

"Whoa. 'Casa Erotica 13' on demand," Dean smirked, pulling up the advertisement for it from their nightstand, causing Sam to scoff. "What?"

"Isn't this place... in the middle of nowhere?" Sam queered.

"So?"

"So what's a four-star hotel doing on a no-star highway?" The two of them didn't have time to think of an answer before a woman's moan erupted from the other room beside them. Kim cringed slightly as Dean smirked. A loud thumping sound banged against the wall as they listened, chuckling came from the room the new wedded were in. Before anything got too intense, a loud crash came from their room, cracking their wall almost causing the TV in Dean, Kim and Sam's room to fall off its wall.

The three of them cautiously walked through the hall to their neighbouring room, Dean and Kim not as confident that their night off was actually that as they were five minutes ago. They crept to the door in the empty hallway, who's red wallpaper no longer seemed as innocent as they once thought. Knocking on the door, they waited for an answer they didn't receive before pushing the door open and letting themselves into the empty room. It was silent and no one was in there, the wall that the bed was pressed up against was cracked and caving in, an engagement ring was hidden in the fluffy carpet.

•※•

"The, uh, the room next to ours. The couple that are, uh, joined at the lips - have you seen them?" Dean asked the man at the front desk who's smile was just as devilish as before. He typed on the keyboards as they spoke, typing to see where they were.

"Mr and Mrs Logan - the honeymooners?" he asked and Kim nodded. "They checked out. Is something the matter?"

"They checked out?" Sam asked and the man nodded.

"Mm-hmm. Mm, just now."

"Really? It sort of seemed like they were, uh..." Sam chuckled, "...in the middle of something."

"Yeah, it's kind of weird for honeymooners to, uh, check out without this," Dean said suspiciously, holding up a shiny engagement ring in between his fingers.

"Oh, dear. I'll just put that right in the lost and found. Don't you worry. Is there anything else I can help you with?" the man defused quickly, taking the ring off Dean and smiling at them. Dean and Kim shared a long and suspicious look, the type of look only shared to let the suspected know that they are onto them.

"That's it, thanks," Kim said with a quick, obviously fake smile that lasted less than a second on her lips.

"Super-fantastic," the man said and Dean slid his hand around Kim's waist, tugging her in a direction away from the man behind the front desk. As they walked down the hall, none of them looked back.

"Creepy," Sam cringed.

"Broke the needle. All right, well, I'll scope out the joint and Kim will go in the other direction, and you keep an eye on Norman Bates over here. I mean, one night off. Is that too much to ask?" Dean sighed as the three of the split up and went their separate ways. Kim went down one hallway while the other two went down others. The red wallpaper was annoyingly red and distracting as she wandered down. She stared at the wallpaper as she wandered, distressingly not noticing the blood-drawing prick that stabbed her in the neck, but other than that, she hadn't missed anything out of the ordinary.

•※•

Ordinary lounge music continued to play softly in the background as Sam, Dean and Kim reconnect that sounded like it would dim one's intelligence. The room was completely empty and Kim presumed it was the music that drove them away. Dean had been telling them about an elephant he had seen in a room he had walked past and at this point, Kim was willing to believe anything.

"An elephant?"

"Yeah."

"Like, an elephant?"

"Like, full-on Babar."

"So what the hell is... Where is everybody?" Sam asked as he attempted to open the lobby door to leave and find somewhere else to stay after all of them agreed that this place was creeping them out. As he pulled on the door, it jerked in persistence. It was locked. The three of them looked to each other. Kim had an expected and exhausted scowl of her lips, her eyes hooded and hollow.

"Oh, look at that," Kim growled, "it's locked."

"So what - the roaches check in, they don't check out?" Dean suggested, his tone just as exhausted as Kim's. Sam straightened his posture and looked around suspiciously, thinking about everything that had happened to them today.

"Think about how we got here. That detour on I-90? The friggin' hurricane?" Sam questioned thoughtfully.

"You saying we were led here?" Dean asked quickly.

"Like rats in a maze."

•※•

The aura of supernatural essence had crept up on them as they ventured through what they thought was a normal hotel. It dawned on Kim how quickly a pleasant and ideal situation could turn into a job. She felt so awful, like the high she had just experienced had been drained out of her. After months of nights without sleep and headaches from researching too long, she had finally had a night to herself where she could spoil herself with food and Dean's company but just as easily as the world had granted her that wish it was taken away.

They stalked through the kitchen to find something suspicious, aiming to try and find someone else in the hotel. Dean spun the ladle that rested in the red soup, a look of pure disgust over his face. Nothing smelt suspicious, but something told Kim that the red soup wasn't a tomato.

"Please be tomato soup. Please be tomato soup," Dean breathed as he swirled the ladle, but as he brought the ladle to the surface, a human eye had followed signalling that this red soup was definitely not tomato. "Motel Hell." Dean and Kim cringed in disgust as they looked. Lips curled, the continued their venture through the kitchen to try and figure out what was happening when they found Sam not further ahead of them calling their names with urgency.

In a hurry, they jogged over to Sam as he desperately and violently tried to unlock a meat freezer filled with the missing guests. Sam reverted to frantic lock picking but his fingers fumbled in a hurried mess as he tried to help them escape.

"Hurry up!" Dean urged.

"I'm going as fast as I can," Sam groaned as he continued, but as he tried to push the lockpick into the lock, his hand twitched and he missed the hole. Kim grew frustrated as she watched him continually miss and Kim decided that something big hands were not good for.

"Move. Let me do it," Kim hurried, pushing him out the way with her hip as she grabbed the lockpick out of his hand to finish his job, but by the time Kim had the pick in her hand, an odd silence had fallen over the kitchen causing Kim to look up, unsure of the silence and there waiting for her was an old man with a devilish smirk on his lips, the boys were gone.

Kim made the first move faster than the man eyes could register at an inhuman speed, her leg swinging along the floor and tripping his feet sending the man to the floor. Before she could make another move, she was grabbed by behind where she twisted and sent the other person flying over her head and landing on the body on the floor in front of her, where two loud groans erupted from the men; but a punch straight to the back of her head and a kick to the back of her knees had her falling to her knees and before she could get up, a swift swing to the jaw just to keep her at bay for she was stronger than they expected for a new Goddess.


	65. Chapter Sixty-Three

Kim was thrown into a well-lit room, where the lights were blinding compared to the bleak hallway she had entered from. Her legs balanced her as she was thrown into the room, her eyes squinting from the light. An awful smell of rotting and clotting blood filled Kim's nose as she stumbled.

It only took a few moments for Kim's eyes to regain perfect sight where she saw no sign on rotting bodies or an abundance of blood that could cause that stench, other than the small, bleeding cut on her lip.

The room was large causing her to believe it was the Grand Ballroom, a formation of cream covered tables created a rectangular shape except for the end of the rectangle where Sam, Dean and Kim were standing was open, so one could walk down the middle of the tables where men and woman, including the three men it took to drag Kim into that room, sat at comfortable chairs that fit perfectly around the table.

Kim looked to her side to see Sam and Dean beside her, just as confused as she was. A noise came from the darkness at the back of the room and emerged the man behind the desk, who they now knew was Mercury, came through with a serving table covered with green lettuce and bloody, human organs decorated with garnishes and a silver dome over the middle of the part, where he dramatically lifted it revealing a severed human head in the middle.

"Dinner is served." There was an applause from the creatures that sat at the tables. Kim cringed at their need for human flesh.

"Ladies and Gentleman, our guests of honor have arrived," a young man with well-maintained hair said, clinking his champagne flute to gather everyone's attention. "Thank you for coming. Although in all my centuries, I never thought I'd see this. This many God's under one roof-"

"Gods?" Sam asked Kim and Dean causing Kim to groan.

"Pagan shitheads," Kim hissed in response, now recognising the man speaking to be Baldur, a Norse God.

"-Now, before we get down to brass tacks, some ground rules. No slaughtering each other. Curb your wrath. Oh, and uh, keep your hands off the local virgins. We're, trying to keep a low profile here.-"

"Oh, we are so... so screwed," Sam drawled to them.

"-Now we all know why we're here. The Judeo-Christian apocalypse looms over us. I know we've all had our little disagreements in the past. The time has come to put those aside and look toward the future because if we don't, we won't have one. Now we do have two very valuable bargaining chips," he stopped and looked towards the three of them. "Michael, and Lucifer's vessels along with this Goddess. The question is, what do we do now? Does anybody have any bright ideas? Speak up. This is a safe room," Baldur continued, his voice not as soft as his words.

A chubby, Asian man spoke first in a different tongue, but other Gods seemed to understand what he was saying.

"Kill 'em?" another said, "What, so the angels can bring them back again? Rumours render that she can't even be killed!" Kim sighed and shook her head.

"Rumour gets around fast," she muttered to herself, for now, it seemed that everyone was aware of what she was and her immortality.

"I don't know what everybody's getting so worked up about! 'Cause it's just a couple of angels having a slap fight! There's no Armageddon. Everybody knows, when the world comes to an end, the Great Serpent Jormungandr rises up, and I myself will be eaten by a big wolf!" Odin rises, his voice booming, bringing laughter from the Asian man who started speaking in his own language again. Their bickering continued for a while longer and it was clear that they didn't like each other. The three of them mutually looked at each other, taking steps back towards the door that stood behind them to make an escape. They were sure to make no sharp movement to bring attention t them, but as the large chandelier fell in front of them, they knew they were caught.

"Stay," slim, dark-skinned lady demanded, a Goddess Kim knew was called Kali. Hot-headed and quick-tempered. "We have to fight. The archangels - the only thing they understand is violence. This ends in blood. There is no other way, it's them, or us."

"With all due respect, ma'am, we haven't even tried talking to them," Mercury said, but before the concept could even be thought over, he started to choke. His perfect hair and charming smile ripped from his existence as she started to spit his own blood.

"Kali!" Baldur interrupted, stopping her abruptly from killing him.

"Who asked you?" Kali spat, but the words were barely able to leave her mouth before the large doors that held entrance to the Grand Ballroom flew open wildly like it had been down with a rough gust of wind. All heads shot to the door for no more guests were expected, but this visitor always showed up especially when he wasn't invited.

A whiskey eyed Gabriel skipped into the frame, a sarcastically gleeful smile on his lips as he entered with his arms open and a song in his tone.

"Can't we all just get along!" he greeted, his casual attitude signalled his acquaintance with the Gods but it didn't seem that he was welcomed by the growling groans that linger on their lips.

"Ga-" Dean started to choke on his own word, his vocal box stopping mid-sentence with a single whip of Gabriel's hand.

"Sam! Kim! Dean... It's always wrong place, worst time with you muttonheads, huh?" he said with a smirk before his expression fell. Kim stared at him, extremely glad to see him. His presence, although meaningless to others was one of the most comforting things Kim could think of. His pure joyful, sarcastic energy brought Kim home. Kim still remembered the last words.

You were my responsibility! He had everything but you! You were mine!

Kim had always felt safe around Gabriel, even when she knew him as the Trickster.

"Loki," a low growl erupted from Baldur.

"Baldur. Good seeing you too. I guess my invitation got lost in the mail," Gabriel shrugged moving up in front of Kim, Sam and Dean so that he could show his presence.

"Why are you here?" he asked and Gabriel smirked before raising an eyebrow dramatically.

"To talk about the elephant in the room." Ganesh, the God symbolised by an elephant, stood defensively but before he could say anything, Gabriel defused his defence. "Not you. The Apocalypse. We can't stop it, gang. But first things first." He turned to the three of them, a quick smirk on his lips. "The adults need to have a little conversation. Check you later." With a snap of his fingers, the three of them were sent to a room somewhere in the motel while they talked.

They dropped into the room, the three of them all as shocked and appalled as each other.

"Okay. Did that - Holy crap!" Dean breathed, his eyes wide with dismay.

"What the-" Kim spattered. "Gabriel is who now? Loki, God of mischief." She stayed silent for a moment, she shocked expression quickly switched to an expression of understanding. "Makes sense."

"By the way, next time I say let's keep driving, uh, let's keep driving," Sam sighed, rubbing his head thinking of what to do next to get out of here.

"Okay. Yeah. Next time," Dean sassed.

"Alright, so what's our next move?" Sam asked.

"Well, we have to get those hostages out of that freezer before they're all eaten," Kim said quickly, trying to think of something before any of the Gods started a search for them.

"Gank a few freaks along the way if we're lucky?" Dean added, agreeing to Kim's idea.

"And when are you ever lucky?" Gabriel's voice said from behind them. A sudden warmness filled Kim as she sighted him.

"Well, you know what, bite me, Gabriel," Dean sassed.

"Maybe later, big boy," Gabriel retaliated. Kim sighed at their bickering.

"We don't have time for this. Gabriel, this game isn't gonna make us 'play our roles', okay. We-"

"You think I'm behind this? Please. I'm the Costner to your Houston. I'm here to save your ass," he scoffed, causing the three of them to step back a bit.

"You wanna pull us outta the fire?" Dean scoffed.

"Bingo! Those guys are either gonna kill you or use you as bait. The morons even think they have a way to kill Kim. Either way, you're uber boned," Gabriel hissed at them. Kim raised an eyebrow.

"They have a way to kill me?" she asked in a tone that frightened Gabriel.

"Of course not," he brushed off with a scoff.

"Why are you even here? You're the one who wants us to 'play our roles'," Kim asked, not admitting that she was glad to see him.

"Ohh... The end is still nigh. Michael and Lucifer are gonna dance the lambada, but not tonight. Not here," Gabriel told them.

"And why do you care?" Dean huffed.

"I don't care," he said quickly. "But, me and Kali we, uh, had a thing. Chick was all hands. What can I say? I'm sentimental," he continued, his eyes flickering to Kim, his gaze lingering longer than normal.

"Do they have a chance? Against Satan?" Sam asked quickly.

"Really, Sam?"

"You got a better idea, Dean?"

"It's a bad idea. Lucifer's gonna turn them into finger paint. So let's get going while the going's good, hmm?" Gabriel instructed, putting his hand on the small of Kim's back and leading her to the door.

"Okay, great, why don't you just zap us outta here then?" Dean asked as he watched him lead Kim, not quite comfortable with how low his hand was.

"Would if I could, but Kali's got you by the short and curlies. It's a blood spell. You boys are on a leash," Gabriel informed them.

"What does that mean?"

"It means it's time for a bit of the old black magic," Gabriel said before spraying his mouth with breath spray.

"Okay, yeah. Well, whatever. Well, we're gonna take the hors-d'oeuvres in the freezer with us," Dean told him but Gabriel shrugged.

"Forget it. It's gonna be hard enough sneaking you mooks outta here," Gabriel said but Kim turned to face him, his eyes bleeding into hers.

"We're getting them out of here, you don't have to worry about them," Kim told him firmly, going to turn but he grabbed her wrist before she left.

"If you're there I have to worry about it," he urged. Kim wanted to smile, but her lips stopped her.

"They called you Loki, right? Which means they don't really know who you are?" Dean asked.

"Told you. I'm in witness protection," he said rather proudly.

"Okay, well then how about you do what we say, or we tell the, uh, the legion of doom about your secret identity. They don't seem like a real pro-angel kinda crowd," Dean threatened causing Gabriel's face to fall.

"I'll take your voices away," Gabriel said seriously.

"We'll write it down," Dean smirked.

"I'll cut off your hands."

"Well then, people are gonna be asking, 'Why are you guys running around with no hands?'" Gabriel squinted at him before turning to Kim and looking at her for a while, a subconscious, proud smile on his lips before answering.

"Fine."

•※•

Employees and customers ran through the hall frantically. Kim guided them to the exit while Dean and Sam set them free form the freezers. They ran, screaming and crying, most shoving past Kim even though she wasn't escaping. She watched as they spread as they left the hotel, leaving in every direction. Kim felt a rush of air blow past her as the last person left the hotel, and in an instant, she was standing in the Great Ballroom next to Sam and Dean again. She looked to them as they looked to her urgently.

"Are they all out?" Sam asked quickly and Kim nodded looking around the room to announce her discovery of Loki being the archangel Gabriel to the rest of the Pagan Gods. Gabriel's whiskey eyes had darkened as Kali loomed over him threateningly and it was clear that he wasn't as confident as he once was.

"How long have you known?" Gabriel hissed at Kali.

"Long enough," she replied.

"Well, surprise, surprise. The Trickster has tricked us," she seethed at him as he sat messily on the chair, unable to move.

"Kali, don't," Gabriel told her but she didn't listen. She hung herself over him, peering down at him dominantly.

"You're mine now. And you have something I want." She reached for him, their lips close but she doesn't let them touch as she swept her hand inside of his jackets and pulled out the angle blade. "An Archangel's blade. From the Archangel, Gabriel."

"Okay, okay! So I got wings, like Kotex. But that doesn't make me any less right about Lucifer," Gabriel stood in defence and continued. Kim could see he was not afraid of them knowing. He saw no threat in these Gods when he knew such evil as Lucifer.

"He's lying. He's a spy," Kali continued, speaking her own facts.

"He's not a spy," Kim spat at her, rather defensively.

"I'm a runaway. I'm trying to save you. I know my brother, Kali. He should scare the living crap out of you. You can't beat him. I've skipped ahead, seen how this story ends-"

"Your story. Not ours," she spat, stepping threatening towards Gabriel. Kim tensed and took a few steps towards him too, but felt a resistance as Dean grabbed her and tugged on her wrist, his eyes pleading her not to intervene. To Dean, they were Gods; powerful and dangerous. But Dean was human. Kim had no right to be scared and therefore she wasn't.

Dean never understood the connection Kim and Gabriel had, for - to him - Gabriel was just another obstacle in the way of creating a safe world, but Kim saw different. She had found a different kind of love in Gabriel, a pure essence she had never found before.

She could see it in his eyes and the way he looked at her. The pride he felt when he saw her, the Goddess she had turned into. The challenges she had overcome. He saw her and he saw what he had created, a creature so majestic and divine, better than anything his father had made. Better than the Earth God had put her on, better than the humans he found perfection in and better than the nature he had formed. God had all of his little toys on Earth and he may be proud of them, but it was nothing compared to the pride Gabriel felt when he saw Kim and she knew she couldn't lose him.

"Westerners, I swear. The sheer arrogance. You think you're the only ones on earth?" Kali seethed as she spoke to Gabriel, who's eyes had drifted over to Kim and she found warmth in his whiskey eyes. "You pillage and you butcher in your God's name. But you're not the only religion, and he's not the only God. And now you think you can just rip the planet apart? You're wrong. There are billions of us. And we were here first. If anyone gets to end this world, it's me. I'm sorry."

It was too quick to comprehend. She hadn't seen it coming. She had plunged the blade into his chest, her expression as merciless as Kim's attitude. Gabriel screamed as a white light flashed, his life fizzling to an end. Kim had a pain in her chest if she had been the one stabbed as she ripped herself from Dean's grip.

"They can die. We can kill Lucifer," Kali breathed as they all just watched the lifeless body of Gabriel slump on the chair.

"You sadistic witch!" Kim spat, marching over to Kali as she stood seemingly unfazed by Kim's fury, but she had not seen what she is capable of. "You better hope that blade kills me too cause you have more than Lucifer on your ass now."

Kim was seething, throwing all the chairs out of her way with a mere twirl of her finger as she matched to Kali. Her fists were clenched tighter than they had ever been for she had lost everything. Everyone she loved had slipped past her and she was grieving. From her childhood, she had been grieving and each couple of months it was a new person she loved that had passed and she as no longer going to sit and sigh. Fury beyond Lucifer's had risen in her for such maggots as Pagan God believed they were worthy of even being in Gabriel presence and took his grace for granted.

It was instinctual as she heard footsteps coming closer behind her to snap around with a wicked swing. Her fists were glowing a pure white colour that emanated from the core of her hands and as her swing punched Odin the God that travelled behind her, he crumbled to dust just at her touch.

Fear was struck into each of the people inside that room, including the Winchesters and Dean was now grateful that Sam had stopped him from reaching her for as it could have easily been Dean who was behind her instead of Odin.

"Kim," a calm voice said from behind her, causing Kim's neck to snap in that direction. It was Dean, his eyes deadlocked on her and it was only then that he had noticed that her pupil and iris were completely gone so that her eyes were completely white. Pure white flames rose from the sockets of her eyes as they had from her hands. Unlike the rest of them, Dean didn't fear her in that state. She was harmless to him.

Kim watched his face and saw his intentions, his voice calming her down faster than any other could. How could she forget about Dean? She had Dean. She had the Winchesters. With a cooling breath, the fire had died from her hands and that was the only signal Dean needed to wrap his hands around her and engulf her in a hug.

"All right you primitive screwheads, listen up," Dean spat.

"Are you outta your mind?" Sam spat.

"I'm outta options. Now on any other given day, I'd be doing my damnedest to, uh, kill you. You filthy murdering chimps. But, uh, hey, desperate times. So even though I'd love nothing better than to slit your throats, you dicks, I'm gonna help you. I'm going to help you ice the devil. And then we can all get back to ganking each other, like normal. You want Lucifer, well, dude's not in the Yellow Pages. But for me and Sam, we can get him here," Dean suggested.

"How?" Kali asked causing Kim to snap at her. She was the last person voice she wanted to hear at the moment.

"First you let those main courses go. Then we talk. We can either take on the devil together, or you lame-ass bitches can eat me. Literally," Dean said shrugging his shoulder but Kim snapped her fingers, causing the knees of Kali to fall beneath her.

"They wouldn't dare."

•※•

Kim helped Dean and Sam release the rest prisoners from the freezer, the ones that didn't make it out the first time. Twenty more people were running for their lives, pushing and shoving their way to what they thought was freedom but in reality was just their boring lives. Kim was with Sam, setting them free form the freezer but when the last person had escaped, she ran over to Dean who was no longer at his post, sending people out the door. Kim could see his silhouette in the dark of the car, unmistakably with Gabriel as they chatted. Kim licked her lips, her eyes focusing on Gabriel as her lips forming to a genuine smile, letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding; she could hear their conversation as she wasn't so far away from the car.

"Alright, you know, Sam was right. It's nuts but it's the best idea I've heard, so unless you have a better one?" said Dean.

"Well, good luck with that. Me? I'm blowing Jonestown. Those lemmings wanna run off a cliff, that's their business," Gabriel huffed.

"I see right through you, you know that? The smart-ass shell, the whole 'I could give a crap' thing? Believe me, it takes one to know one."

"That so?"

"Yes. I don't know if you saw Kim or not, but she needs you."

"I saw her," Gabriel said with a smile.

"You're not gonna run on Kim, are you?"

"I can't kill my brother."

"Can't or won't?" There was a silence. "That's what I thought."

•※•

Kim was running back with Dean to the Ballroom where Sam was telling Kali that the easiest way to summon Satan was to get rid of the Enochian on his ribs. Dean and Kim were running through the halls, a smile wide on her lips as they ran. Dean knew that Kim had seen Gabriel and it was easy to say he wasn't as happy as she was. He was rather blistered by the fact that Kali had taken Gabriel's fake angel blade and they were about to summon Lucifer, but Kim was too blinded by happiness to acknowledge the fact that they were about to die.

The three of them marched into the room as Sam, Kali and Baldur were talking. Kim was baring a smile that Dean did not match as he bared the bad news to the two of them. The rest of the Gods were not there, they were all at their posts preparing for Lucifer's arrival.

"Show's over. Sword's a fake, and Gabriel, he's still kicking. I hate to break it to you, sister, but you've been tricked."

Sam, Kali and Baldur looked between each other as they processed the information, but they could no longer do anything. They hadn't reversed Sam's Enochian on his ribs, there was no way of Lucifer finding them, but it was too late to try and figure it out. Lucifer knew where they were and there was no way of changing that. The lights had started to flicker violently.

"What's happening?" Baldur asked calmly, although his tone was covered in fear as he looked up at the lights.

"It's him," Sam breathed hopelessly, watching the lights.

"How?" Kali asked.

"Does it matter?" Dean sassed quickly.

"I'm going out there," Kim hissed. The screams of the Pagan Gods shot through the hallway and travelled to the Ballroom, sending a futile wave over the room. Lucifer was coming and there was no stopping him.

"Do you have a death wish?" Dean spat, grabbing her hand viciously. His grip was circulation stopping in order to prevent her from marching into a death zone. "Shazzam us outta here, would ya?"

"We can't."

The doors of the Ballroom burst open with force strong enough to unhinge the doors. The doors smashed against the wall behind them like thunder and the light flickering had stopped. Evil had crept into the room, with a smirk on his lips and vile in his eyes. His exalted percents shunned everyone in the room and the Pagan Gods were no longer as righteous and powerful as they once thought.

"Of course you can't. You didn't say 'mother, may I?'" Lucifer smirked as he presented himself. "Sam, Dean, Kim, good to see you again." Lucifer flashed over to Kim, her once confident esteem shrivelled under his gaze as she rediscovered his horrendous face. She froze in his sight, vulnerable to his action. She had never felt so useless in her life; only the grip of Dean moving to glide his arm around her and drag her away from him shook her from her gaze.

"Baldur, don't," Kali warmed as Baldur moved over to Lucifer to confront him.

"You think you own the planet? What gives you the right?" Before he could finish, Lucifer had his entire upper arm into Baldur's chest, ripping through bone and flesh until it came out the other side, his heart in his hand.

"No one gives us the right, we take it." Lucifer through the corpse of Baldur across the room like it was nothing. Kali had become enraged at his action, his cocky attitude displayed no empathy for his action. Her hands covered in flames, throwing fireballs at Lucifer that didn't seem to harm him the slightest bit, which gave the opportunity for Sam, Dean and Kim to take cover behind a fallen table.

"You okay?" Sam asked Kim and Dean as they crouched away from the fury.

"Not really. Better late than never, huh?" Gabriel replied as he slid in beside Kim, who was on the outer edge of the table. Kim sighed in relief, seeing Gabriel again. Just feeling his percents next to her relaxed he comfortingly. Words couldn't describe the elated feeling she had being beside him again, how blessed she truly considered herself; so instead of explaining, she simply smiled and squeezed his forearm comfortingly. Gabriel felt Kim and smiled softly. "Guard this with your life, sweetheart."

Kim felt something slide into her lap and she looked down to reveal that Gabriel had passed her a copy of Casa Erotica #13 on DVD. Kim looked at the DVD, confused and slightly disturbed before looking back up to Gabriel for clarification, but he had disappeared.

Kim stayed huddled with the Winchesters ad the fight behind the had continued. Grunts and crashed echoed through the room. Cries of pain, blood was splattered over the walls so violently. The sound of desperate struggle surrounded them when a force blew open the doors, stronger than it had when Lucifer had arrived. A strike that boomed as the doors it the wall. A sound that made Kim shoot up from behind the table.

The room had fallen silent at the sound. The struggle had disappeared and peace fell over the space for a mere second as everyone watched as Gabriel stood at the door. His head was slightly hung and his eyes brooding, an angle blade gripped tightly in his hands. He took a step forward from the shadows and Kim instantly saw his unique smirk plastered on his lips.

"Lucy," he sang, "I'm home." He marched in, grabbing Kali from under Lucifer's reign and escorted her to the Winchesters. "Guys! Get her outta here."

Dean had his arm wrapped around Kim as they quickly moved to Kali, their bodies covered by Gabriel who was shielding them. Sam grabbed Kali and escorted her to the doors, their walk rapid and hunch to be shielded. Kim felt Dean's hand guide her towards the door and without thinking, she followed. He had been holding her since Lucifer had entered the room and she had not objected.

Kim looked over her shoulder to Gabriel and Lucifer. Brother against brother. Family against family. She remembered all the time she had to break up Sam and Dean's arguments, but it was needless to say that this was different. Gabriel and Lucifer where nothing like Sam and Dean, their argument couldn't be undone by pulling one out of the fight. As she looked over her shoulder, she watched as the room turned the same shade of whisky it had when she was in the hospital room.

Dean's hand pressed into her side, guiding her to the door. As they met the entrance, his grip loosened as they met the door. In his rush, Dean had exited the room in pursuit of Sam that he hadn't noticed that Kim had taken his hand off of her waist until it was too late.

"I'll meet you at the first motel in the phone book, right?" Kim said quickly, causing Dean to turn around a the sound of her voice only to realise she had separated from him.

"Kim!" He reached for her, but the door slammed shut with immense force. Kim turned around slowly, her eyebrows brooding and her jaw clenched. With Gabriel beside her, she was no longer afraid.

"Kim, what the hell are you doing?" Gabriel spat as she walked beside him. Her fists were clenched in rage, enough to draw blood as her fingernails dug into her skin. Kim swallowed a lump in her throat as she looked to Gabriel, no longer fearing the creature in front of her. His face was menacing, haunting her every thought but she had no reason to fear him when comfort was so close beside her and she swore to herself that she would never fear him again, for Gabriel didn't and neither should she.

"I'm so glad you're alive," she whispered before turning back to Lucifer, who was rather disgusted. His attitude was much more laid back than the other two. His stance was sloppy and his grip was weak, and if he were human he would be an easy competitor.

"Over a girl. Gabriel, really? I mean I knew you were slumming, but I hope you didn't catch anything," Lucifer grunted in disgust. A smirk fell on Gabriel's lips at the words, his grip string on his blade.

"Lucifer, you're my brother. And I love you. But you are a great big bag of dicks."

"Wait, what did you just say to me?" Lucifer growled, using his angel blade to point at him threateningly.

"Look at yourself!" Gabriel drawled. "Boo hoo! Daddy was mean to me, so I'm gonna smash up all his toys."

"Watch your tone," Lucifer warned but it was unlike anything Kim had ever seen before. His wrath was limited but his tone was strong in an authorial way, a way she had seen Dean use with Sam.

"Play the victim all you want. But you and me? We know the truth. Dad loved you best. More than Michael, more than me. Then he brought the new baby home and you couldn't handle it. So this is all just one big temper tantrum. Time to grow up," Gabriel spat moving in front of Kim. The tension was rising between the brother, as one spoke the truth the other became offended. Lucifer saw his brother and sighed, for he had no rage toward him. It was his brother.

"Gabriel, if you're doing this for Michael..."

"Screw him. If he were standing here, I'd shiv his ass too," he spat, causing Lucifer to writhe.

"You disloyal-"

"Oh, I'm loyal. To them!" Gabriel spat, grabbing Kim's hand as she stood behind him.

"Who? These so-called Gods?" Lucifer scoffed.

"To people, Lucifer. People," Gabriel sighed. His brother did not understand his motive and it was like talking to an incompetent being.

"Gabriel, I can take him, please," Kim asked as she stood behind him, unable to get in front.

"So you're willing to die, for a pile of cockroaches. Why?"

"Because Dad was right," Gabriel sighed heavily. "They are better than us."

"They are broken, flawed abortions!"

"Damn right they're flawed. But a lot of them try to do better, to forgive." A smirk appeared on his face. "And you should see the Spearmint Rhino! I've been riding the pine a long time. But I'm in the game now, and I'm not on your side, or Michael's. I'm on theirs..." There was a silence. "I'm on Kim's."

Lucifer laughed. "Kim's side? This abomination is proof of human's triviality. You're only on her side cause she's the only thing that gives you importance!"

"I'm on her side because I know she'll finish her task! She is who father intended her to be," Gabriel continued. Lucifer sighed as he saw that Gabriel was as stubborn as he was.

"Brother, don't make me do this," Lucifer breathed solemnly. Kim jerked out of Gabriel's grip and towards Lucifer.

"No one makes us do anything." In a quick motion, Gabriel's hand threw Kim against the wall, a force held her there. It was impossible for her to move. She wiggled and squirmed as she watched the scene before her unfold. I all happened so quickly, but she saw it all happen like every second was a minute.

"I know you think you're doing the right thing, Gabriel. But I know where your heart truly lies." Kim watched from the wall in terror, unable to do anything as a second Gabriel sneaked up behind Lucifer, an angel blade in his hands, above his head in order to attack; but as the seconds moved by a piercing screamed left Kim's lips.

Lucifer twisted quickly, seeing the real Gabriel that stood behind him and grabbed the angel blade he had in his hand to impale his brother. Kim felt a storm of pain in her stomach and chest as she watched, the scream terrorising the two archangels.

"Here. Amateur hocus pocus. Don't forget, you learned all your tricks from me, little brother." Kim could see the betrayal on Gabriel's face as he hunched over the blade that impaled him, his eyes watering and he looked up at his big brother pleadingly; a forgiveness in his eyes that hurt more than the blade. Lucifer jerked the blade slighting, a simple twist and Gabriel's last breath ventured out of him in a painful scream. White light shone fiercely from his eyes and mouth as his corpse crumbled to the floor.

Kim fell from her position on the wall, into a huddled ball on the floor, Gabriel's force fading from existence. She knew this time wasn't fake, the pain was too real. Her chest held weeps and bellows for her beloved friend as she lost all feeling of warmth in her body. Her eyes no longer saw that comforting whisky colour and she no longer felt a piece of home with her; although gone, Kim could still feel the pride she had for her and she wasn't going to let him down.

"Leave," Lucifer said as he stared down at his little brother, his once large and graceful wings now etched a pattern of ash into the floor. Kim looked up from her huddled position but she could barely look at Lucifer. "Leave!"

•※•

Kim had found the brothers at a motel and the second she had walked into the room, they knew something drastic had happened. Kim didn't look the same nor did she act the same. Dean expected her attitude to stiffen and it had. She had become more distant and the small gestures Dean often made to her were unwelcome and felt cold.

She had bottled up everything like she had every other time she grieved and proceeded with her job, this time more determined than before. Gabriel believed in her and she was not going to let him down.

Kim couldn't bring herself to watch the video Gabriel had given her the night he died, the sight of his face only caused her to stiffen more and clench her jaw. She stood beside the Winchesters as they played the video on a laptop on top of the Impala with her arms crossed and her back against the car.

She listened to his voice, a recollection of him crossed her mind as she heard him speak. A ghostly smile crossed her lips when she heard his voice and the smile only deepened when she discovered it was a porno starring the renown archangel himself.

"Kim, Sam, Dean. You're probably wondering what the hell is going on. Well, if you're watching this, I'm dead." Kim stiffened at his words, quickly turning to view the video. He was in a pizza man outfit, his hair slicked back with too much gel and a girl in only her bra and panties in the background, waiting for his luxuriously on the bed.

"Oh please! Stop sobbing, it's embarrassing for all of us. Kim, you know I have all of my faith in you, but I know you don't have it in yourself, sweetheart!" he said swiftly.

"But can trap him. The cage you sprung Lucifer from? It's still down there. And maybe, just maybe, you can shove his ass back in. Not that it'll be easy. You gotta get the cage open, trick my bro back into it. And uh, oh yeah, avoid Michael and the God Squad," he dragged on, making Sam and Dean swallow hard.

"But hey, details, right? And here's the big secret, Lucifer himself doesn't even know - the key to the cage? It's out there. Actually, it's keys, plural. Four keys, well, four rings. From the Horsemen. You get 'em all, you got the cage. Can't say I'm betting on you boys. But, uh, hey! I've been wrong before. And Dean," he said truly, "you were right. I was afraid to stand up to my brother, not any more." Gabriel stood up proudly. "So this is me, standing up."

Gabriel smirked and looked at the camera, his hair slick and shiny, a smirk that knew he was going out with a bang. "And this is me, lying down." He grabbed the girl that was waiting behind him and pushed her to the bed, making out with her as the viewers cringed and shut the laptop.

"Oh, uh, oh! Oh man!" Sam cringed before shutting the laptop hard. Kim smirked, she knew he was content with his death and that gave her ease.

"Horsemen, huh? Well, we got War's. We nicked Famine's. That's two down. Collect all four?" Dean shrugged as if it was nothing, but his words left Kim confused. She was so entranced with Gabriel's voice that she hadn't really listened to what he had said.

"Wait, when did we get War and Famine's?"


	66. Chapter Sixty-Four

"What the hell is wrong with you?" roared Dean, his face filled with disgusted anger as he stared at his brother. The three of them where in Bobby's house preparing for their battle with Pestilence after discovering his location when Sam revealed some disturbing news to Kim and Dean. Kim was against Sam's idea as much as Dean was, herself filled with as much hatred for the idea as Dean, especially since she considered it unnecessary.

"Dean-"

"-no, don't 'Dean' me. I mean, you- you have had some stupid ideas in the past, But this -" Dean turned to Bobby, a wrench of disgust on his face, "d-did you know about this?"

"What?"

"About Sam's genius plan to cram the devil down his throat?" Dean hissed, not expecting the answer he got. Bobby had just nodded to his question. "Well, thanks for the heads up!" Dean threw his hands up and spun away.

"Sam, this is stupid," Kim drawled.

"I wouldn't expect you to understand," he replied, rather dismissively.

"What do you mean, I wouldn't understand? This is my job, after all." Kim demanded, throwing her finger down. "This isn't your responsibility. I'm not gonna have you possessed by Lucifer when it was supposed to be me who kept him in Hell!"

"Kim-"

"No, Sam!"

"No, listen, Kim. Last time you actually fought Lucifer you almost died! Do you understand! You're immortal! And you can't die!" Sam spat, throwing his arms about. His anger was growing furiously.

"Exactly, I'm immortal and he almost killed me. What do you think he will do to you!" Kim hissed and rolled her eyes. "Sam, you're taking this way to easily. You can't regain your mind after it has been possessed by Lucifer. You couldn't even do it when a demon possessed you years back!"

"This is different!"

"Yeah, it's Lucifer!"

"You think you can do better than me?" Sam asked, spitting a derogatory and demeaning tone at her.

"I know I can!"

"You let everyone you ever loved die! and you expect me to let the fate of the world rest on your shoulders! Gabriel may have had faith in you, but he was blind! You don't deserve God's grace! You have been nothing but a mistake and you know it. You're just a self-loathing mistake!" Kim stood in front of Sam as he stepped towards her with every sentence, his tall figure leaning over her. Kim had grown more confident in her ability, but as Sam's reoccurring words entered her head, repressed memories she had tied to forgive herself fore emerged. She had killed everyone she had love, she let them die.

Kim shrunk back into herself as the memories of everyone she had lost lingered in her mind, leaving an awful taste in her mouth, losing all the confidence she had gained in her short amount of time. Sam had realised what he had said as he watched Kim retreat into herself. He hadn't meant to sound so abrupt, but they were all so exhausted from lack of sleep that the words just slipped from his mouth. He watched her once powerful stance crumbled at his fingertips; he spoke the truth but little did he know that he had just withered away the only chance they had in defeating Lucifer. "Kim, I'm-"

Dean's phone rang that very second, but he hadn't registered it as he and Bobby stared stunned at what had come out of Sam's mouth. After a few rings, Dean picked up the phone and answered.

"Hello- Cas? We all thought you were dead. Where the hell are you, man?" Dean spoke into the phone, gathering everyone's attention. "A hospital? Are you okay?- You want to elaborate?" The all waited as Dean listened to Castiel speak. "Uh, well, I got to tell you, man - You're just in time. We figured out a way to pop Satan's box."

Dean finally put the phone on speaker.

"How?" Cas asked in his usual, deep tone.

"It's a long story, but, look -we're going after Pestilence now. So if you want to zap over here..."

"I can't 'zap' anywhere."

"What do you mean?"

'You could say my batteries are - are drained."

"What do you mean? You're out of angel mojo?" Dean asked, shocked that it was even possible.

"I'm saying that I am thirsty and have headaches. I have a bug bite that itches no matter how much I scratch it, and I'm saying that I'm just incredibly..."

"Human. Wow. Sorry."

"Well, my point is - I can't go anywhere without money for... an aeroplane ride. And food. And more pain medication, ideally."

"All right. Well, look, no worries. Uh, Bobby's here. He'll wire you the cash." Dean put the phone back to his ear as he spoke to Castiel.

•※•

Sam, Dean and Kim were riding in the Impala like they always did. Kim no longer remembered a day in her life where she had been with the Winchesters and hadn't been in the car. It was a place Kim now found comfort, and after Gabriel's death, she sought for that in anything; but as she sat in the back seat she felt nothing but discomfort. The air was thick and distraught. No one had said anything about what happened at Bobby's place and the elephant in the room had moved for Sam planning to be possessed by Lucifer to the words he scarred Kim with.

Kim hadn't said a thing since then, nor did she want to. The silence, although awkward was safer than the words that would be said. She was so tense because she knew that every single word that left Sam's mouth was true. She was a failure, in simple terms, rather that she was the reason for the world's dismay.

Determined. That is what Kim felt as she let Sam's speech sink into her mind. Determined to make it up to the people she had let die. She would finally do something worthy of her power, instead of killing small angels and demons when needed. She would put the world right. It was her job; she always finished a job.

Dean sat in the driver's seat, consciously making an effort not to look at his brother and Sam knew. Dean was disgusted with what Sam had said and sadly, was the only one that didn't believe what he had said. Kim had done so much for Dean. She had made him the happiest he had ever been and he was no longer afraid to admit that he needed her. Their passion, although modest to the public eyes, was the greatest feeling Dean had ever experienced. He was truly blind to how defective she was.

The Impala pulled up at the location of Pestilence which turned out to be a large facility home, with stone walls and dim lighting with a sign at the front displaying 'Serenity Valley Convalescent Home.'

The three of them stepped out of the car, ignoring the impenetrable tension. "So this is Dr Evil's lair, huh?"

"It's kind of more depressing than evil," Sam sighed, looking at the home.

"Makes sense," Kim shrugged. "It would be filled with old, sick people. No one would question it. Pestilence's probably having the time of his life."

"Great. A whole building full of people. We don't know who's human, who's demon and who's Pestilence. So what do we do?" Sam asked Dean as they checked their weapons, although they would be ineffective on him.

"Hang on."

Sam and Kim followed Dean from the Impala to the back of the home, making sure to avoid workers or the front desk as they didn't actually have anyone to visit. Kim made sure to keep ahead of Sam, keeping her distance. She knew that it would be too awkward for her if she walked by his side. They travailed to the back, unavoidably bumping into one of the security guards.

"Hey. Hi. Uh, I'm looking for my Nana. Uh, her name is Eunice Kennedy" Dean explained, hoping for an entrance through the back door.

"Go around front and see the nurse," the guard requested.

"You mind just helping me out, sir? Uh, she's about, uh, about that small and grey hair, wears diapers-" Kim, growing impatient and already personally annoyed, threw a punch at the guard that sent him flying towards the ground, knowing him out.

The brothers looked to Kim as she stood straight over the body, unfazed with what she had done. "What? Now we have a way in." Without another word or waiting for a response, Kim stepped over the unconscious man and into the home.

The first thing Kim noticed as she stepped in was the smell. It was foul, sanitised and repulsive, like a morgue with horrible hygiene. Kim scrunched her nose in disgust, taking a step forward.

"Hey. What are we even looking for?" Sam asked, stopping Kim and Dean.

"Well, he's Pestilence, so he probably looks sick," Dean replied and Kim rolled her eyes.

"Everybody looks sick," Sam replied when he noticed that Dean had started to drift, his eyes partially closed. He tapped him on the shoulder sending his eyes feeling open and he shook it off with a quick head shake.

"You okay there," Kim asked as she looked to Dean, whose eyes were slightly glazed and faded.

"Yeah, let's go."

The three of them started to walk, not sure who was who or what to look for, but the hallways were narrow and only seemed to head in one direction. Following the hallways, they snuck down the corridors while Kim held the demon blade tightly in her hand, the Winchesters possessing guns. The light was oddly dim for the middle of the day and the hallways had no windows, just brown wallpaper that blended into the darkness.

Kim hadn't noticed that the brother were no longer behind her, both of them slowly collapsing on the floor in coughing fits. Kim heard the deep, throatily coughs from behind her, slowly turning to see that Dean was collapsing on the floor, holding his stomach as he fell.

"Ugh... Must be getting close," Sam spluttered, also collapsing as blood spurted out of his mouth, dripping onto the floor as he walked, holding onto the wall for support.

"You think?" Dean scoffed as he fell. Kim gathered him in her arms, looking at him desperately. She had felt no different half an hour ago to how she felt now, but this Horsemen had seemed to disrupt the brother a lot.

"Why isn't it affecting you?" Dean asked as Kim held his head up as he slumped in her arms, blood dripping from his mouth onto her shirt. Kim dropped her knife to the floor as she held Dean, making sure not to hurt him. "Sorry, stupid question."

"I've never been ill," Kim shrugged. "I've never really thought about it that much until now. I guess we know the reason." Kim barley had a second to finish her sentence when she felt a searing pain in her back, making her arch her spine and let go of Dean, his whole upper body collapsing. The two brothers laid on the floor in puddles of their own blood as Kim writhed on the floor, her whole body thrown into painful fits. She could see a pair of slim legs stand before her. Kim looked up to see a nurse standing over her and the boys with an evil smirk on her lips.

"The Doctor will see you now."

Kim writhed in incurable pain as she was dragged into a room along with dazed Sam and Dean who were too weak to fight back. The demon dropped them into a dark room, where a very pristine and clean man sat at the edge of a patients bed who was riddled with horrible diseases. Kim took a riveting breath as she dropped her onto the cold floor, her lungs filling with much-needed air.

The force had been lifted off of her but the pain had left her paralysed. In heaving pain, Kim reached up her arm from the ground she laid on in an attempt to fight Pestilence, but in the little time he had control over her, she had felt her body weaken.

He was a tall, sickly pale man who's hair was thin and weak. He loomed over them as they all writhed under him, his greasy eyes scanning over them like they were maggots.

"Hmm. You boys don't look well. It might be the, uh, Scarlet fever. Or, uh, the meningitis. Oh! Or syphilis. That's no fun. However, you feel right now?" Pestilence asked crudely. His head turned to Kim, who's arms dropped by her side as the weight of it became too much for her.

"And Kim, you couldn't dream of the diseased I'd riddle you with if I could; but for now," he stopped and sent a strike towards her sending her into a seizing fit.

"It's gonna get so very, very much worse. Questions? Disease gets a bad rap, don't you think? For being filthy. Chaotic. Uh, but, really, that just describes people who get sick. Disease itself... Very... pure... Single-minded. Bacteria have one purpose -divide and conquer." Dean, blood dripping from his rotting body, reached out his hand in search of the demon knife, but as his fingertips grazed the knife Pestilence stepped on his hand, crushing his fragile bones.

"That's why, in the end... it always wins. So, you've got to wonder why God pours all his love into something so messy... And weak. It's ridiculous. All I can do is show him he's wrong, one epidemic at a time. Now... On a scale of 1 to 10, how's your pain?" Kim looked up at him as he smirked dominantly down on the three of them, her heart racing as her muscles seized. Her body was so heavy it was almost impossible to lift her head from the floor; but as her eyes gazed viciously at the demon that dragged her into the room, she watched as the orange light streamed out of her eyes and mouth and her limp body fell to the floor.

Kim's head fell to the floor in exhaustion with a thump, her eyes hardly able to stay open. As she laid limp, she heard the door swing open and someone with a light footstep walked in. Dean turned his head and saw Castiel walk in, his eyes brooding and his skin blemished with his new found humanity.

"Cas?"

"How'd you get here?" Pestilence asked deeply.

"I took a bus," Cas explained in a slow, awkward tone that dragged out longer than it needed to. "Don't worry, I -" Castiel stopped mid-sentence, his eye widening as his throat closed and fell to the floor, coughing.

"Well, look at that. An occupied vessel, but powerless. Oh, that's fascinating. There's not a speck of angel in you, is there?" Pestilence smirked, walking over to the heaving and drooling Cas. His body riddled with disease and weakened with sickness, Cas reached for the demon knife and scowled angrily, growling with anger. He reached up and trapped his hand to the nearby table, digging the knife into his skin and bone and cutting off his finger, taking the ring.

"Maybe just a speck," Castiel hissed. The three of them felt a relief as a weight lifted off of Kim and Sam, Dean and Castiel freed from the disease as the ring was no longer under the mercy of Pestilence. Dean huffed and stood to his feet, wiping his knees as he stood up taking the chopped off finger that held the ring in his hand and put it in a plastic bag, taking it with him. As they turned to leave, a voice behind them stopped them.

"It doesn't matter. It's too late," Pestilence said gravely as he held his butchered hand to his chest, his hollow eyes staring at them before vanishing before them.

•※•

The four of them had found themselves back at Bobby's house, back between the book and sheets that littered his entire house. Kim swallowed a lump in her throat as she leaned up against the wall, her arms crossed and brooding expression on her lips. Dean stood next to her, seeing her expression, making an attempt to make her feel warmer as he slid his arm around her waist and tugging her closer to him.

Kim fell into his side and she slowly turned her head towards Dean, her eyes staring at his features as if it would be her last. She contemplated if it would be, as she was too familiar with the pattern of losing everyone she loved. A ghostly smile pressed against her lips as she returned Dean's reassuring smile.

"I'm so happy you're alive," Kim whispered to him, her eyes glazing over his face with gratitude and love. "I can't lose you."

Dean leaned in softly to press his lips to hers as he was just as scared of losing her. The world was coming to an end and she was the last good things about it. His lips caressed hers softly and Kim quickly kissed back, retreating soon after and turning back to the boys in the room, but Dean continued to stare at her, his eyes watching her protectively.

"Well, it's nice to actually score a home run for once, ain't it?" Bobby sighed, referring to Pestilence's ring, but he saw the worried expression on Sam's expression an had to question it. "What?"

"Last thing Pestilence said. 'It's too late.'" Sam replied, contemplating the answer.

"He get specific?" Bobby asked.

"No," Kim shook her head.

"We're just a little freaked out that he might have left a bomb somewhere," Dean sighed, just taking his eyes off of Kim. "So please tell us you have actual good news." Bobby nodded and rolled over to some papers, looking at them.

"Chicago's about to be wiped off the map. Storm of the millennium. Sets off a daisy chain of natural disasters. Three million people are gonna die." Kim licked her teeth and sighed and Dean could feel how exhausted she was. A weight laid on her that the brothers couldn't imagine but they knew as well as she did that they couldn't help her.

"Huh," Dean huffed.

"I don't understand your definition of good news," Castiel replied.

"Well... Death, the horseman - he's gonna be there. And if we can stop him before he kick-starts this storm, get his ring back -"

"Easier said than done," Kim huffed, feeling a squeeze from Dean on her hip.

"Hell, I'm just trying to put a spin on it," Bobby replied, grouching.

"Well... Bobby, h-how'd you put all this together, anyway?" Sam asked with his arms crossed. Bobby shuffled behind his desk and shrugged.

"I had, you know... help." Footsteps sounded from the archway everyone's back was facing, but the sound gathered everyone's attention. Everyone turned to the entrance. Kim had never seen this man before, but he was short and stout with loose hair and a clean face. His eyebrows were thick and brooded as he walked in, his stance and walk filled with confidence.

"Don't be so modest," the man said huskily; his voice the most enticing thing about him. "I barely helped at all." The man looked to the boys and Kim felt Dean's grip tighten and Kim knew that he must be a demon.

"Hello, boys. Pleasure, et cetera." He turned to Kim, a smirk on his lips. "Finally, I get to meet the legendary Kim. The boys have been keeping you away from me, you know?"

"Yeah, and for good reason," Dean hissed.

"Awe, scared I'm gonna hurt your girlfriend?" the man asked with a smirk. Dean shuffled before answering.

"You're the one that's gonna get hurt, Crowley, not Kim," he hissed. Crowley rolled his eyes and made is way up to Kim, a cheeky smirk on his lips. He took her hand in his and kissed it gently, his eyes staring up at Dean's hard expression as he did. Kim quickly retreated her hand and stared at the man.

"The King of the Crossroads?" Kim hissed disgustedly. Crowley smirked, rather proud of his title.

"At you're service," he smirked before stepping closer. "Sorry about you're dad, but a deals a deal." Before Kim had the time to respond, he turned to Bobby and continued. "Go ahead. Tell them. There's no shame in it."

"Bobby? Tell us what?" Sam asked as Bobby shrugged.

"World's gonna end. Seems stupid to get all precious over one little... soul," Bobby grouched deeply.

"You sold your soul?" Dean spat.

"Oh, more like pawned it. I fully intend to give it back," Crowley continued.

"Well, then give it back!" Dean hissed.

"I will."

"Now!"

"Did you kiss him?" Sam asked abruptly.

"Sam!"

"Just wondering," he shrugged.

"No!" Bobby huffed quickly. Almost immediately, Crowley held up a photo on his phone of a picture of the two of them kissing as proof. "Why'd you take a picture?"

"Why do you have to use tongue?"

"All right," Kim scoffed quickly, eager to end that conversation.

"You know what? I'm sick of this. Give him his soul back now," Dean demanded, now only moving from Kim's side as he marched up to Crowley.

"I'm sorry. I can't," Crowley shrugged, not really sorry at all.

"Can't or won't?"

"I won't, all right? It's insurance," Crowley hissed.

"What are you talking about?"

"You kill demons, Gigantor over there has a temper issue about it and she's one of the most powerful beings in the universe; but you won't kill me... as long as I have that soul in the deposit box," Crowley hissed, throwing his arms about as he explained.

"You son of a bitch," Bobby hissed.

"I'll return it. After all of this is over, and I can walk safely away. Do we all understand each other?"

•※•

The Winchester brother and Crowley were out in Bobby's yard talking, leaving Bobby and Kim in the study. Bobby moved over to Kim and looked up at her as she sat on a chair with her head in her hands, sighing. He knew it wasn't a good time as the world had started ending and she was in the middle of feeling it crash upon her, but he just had to ask.

"Kim," he said softly as he rolled over. Kim looked up and he could see her emotionless eyes as she responded to him with a nod. "I know it's not the best time to ask but... you can fix my legs, right?"

Kim looked at him with eyes that poured sorrow. She sighed and shook her head.

"I- I don't know how to control it, Bobby. The only thing I've ever done is kill. I haven't fixed anything. I just-"

"Don't want to take the risk. I get it," he huffed, rolling away from her and back to his desk. Kim sighed and looked at him as he studied the papers on his desk, actively avoiding her presence in the room. Kim stood up and walked over to him, his brooding eyes looking up at the figure that approached him.

"You want me to try, I'll try," she said helplessly but the smile that appeared on his face made her hate herself for the disappointment she knew he would feel after her failed attempt. "Just... don't get your hopes up."

She placed her hand on Bobby's head and he closed his eyes, but she could see that even after her attempt to lower his hopes in success. His face was bright, she could see that his immobility was something that terribly negatively affected him. A small smile placed his lips as he waited for something to happen; a miracle.

She sighed as she pressed deeper into Bobby's forehead. Her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to concentrate all her energy into helping Bobby. He needed a win and frankly, so did Kim. She needed anything to gain even a little bit of satisfaction and hope, otherwise, the world would stay the same shade of grey forever.

A heat formed in her palm and it radiated into Bobby. A warmth overcame him as he accepted her power. Her hand started to shake as she executed her ability and she ripped her hand off of Bobby's head, panting as she back away. Sweat beaded from her forehead that she wiped away with the back of her hand.

Bobby blinked as he looked at her, his figure still stuck to the wheelchair he seemed to be trapped it. Kim released a breath of disappointment as she watched Bobby try and lift himself from his chair.

"I'm really sorry, Bobby-"

He stood from his chair, his eyes wide as he hastily tried to take a step out from behind his wheelchair, but he was moving too fast in too much excitement to use his legs again, and in his first step, he fell. He fell forward and Kim went to catch him, but he hit his head on the floor, leaving a wound on the side of his head.

He attempted to stand again, but his legs had gone back to normal and Kim had to heave him into his wheelchair. "I really did try, Bobby." He sighed and looked up at her.

"One more time?" he asked helplessly. She sighed and wanted to muse him, so she attempted again, but the only thing she managed to do was heal the wound on his forehead. Kim could feel that she was no longer welcome in that room, so she huffed softly and went off to try and find Dean, but as she was about to exit the house and meet them outside, she heard their conversation.

"Look, Dean, um... for the record... I agree with you and Kim, about me. You think I'm too weak to take on Lucifer. Well, so do I. Believe me, I know exactly how screwed up I am. You, Bobby, Cas, Kim ...I'm the least of any of you," Sam replied to Dean who just replied by rolling his eyes.

"Oh, Sam..."

"No, it's true. It is but... I'm sorry Dean but there's just too much at stake and Kim's made too many mistakes already. I know I shouldn't have said what I did, but I still think it's true. We may be putting the fate of the existence of the world in the hands of someone distend to fail," Sam sighed, trying to convince Dean that he should be the one to put Lucifer back into the cage.

"And... scene," Crowley said as he handed Sam some newspaper. "There's something you need to see." Sam stared at the paper article.

"Niveus pharmaceuticals are rushing a delivery of its new swine flu vaccine to 'stem the tide of the unprecedented outbreak.' Uh, shipments leave Wednesday," Sam read, scrunching his eyebrows.

"Niveus pharmaceuticals. Get it?" Sam and Dean looked to each other and shook their head in confusion. "You two are lucky you have your looks. Ah, yes, that the sound of the abacus clacking? We all caught up?" Crowley continued.

"So, Pestilence-"

"-was spreading swine flu."

"Yeah, but not just for giggles. That was step one. Step two is the vaccine. And you think -"

"I know. I'll stake my reputation - That vaccine is chock-full of grade-a, farm-fresh Croatoan virus," Crowley continued, his hands in his pocket as she shuffled on his feet.

"Simultaneous, countrywide distribution. It's quite a plan," Sam sighed, rubbing his head.

"They don't get to be horsemen for nothing. So, you boys better stock up on... well, everything. This time next Thursday, we'll all be living in Zombieland." Kim had been taken back by the news and had her wondering how everything had quickly turned downhill. Kim sighed and turned away from the door, moving over to find Cas and Bobby who were outside the front, standing by the car.

•※•

Kim walked over to the two of them, her hands on her hips and a brooding stare in her eyes. The brother had explained the situation to the rest of them, forcing Kim to relive the whole situation again as they explained.

After Dean had explained to them, he had ordered Kim to go with Sam and Cas to help with the virus. His tone was strong and firm, no room for argument but Kim knew that there was even less room for interfering protection. Dean thought it would be safer to stop the vaccine than to confront Death, and Kim thought the same, but she wasn't here to drive the safe road; she was too far gone to even consider it.

Kim stood, her emotionless gaze matching Dean's. "You must be stupid," she said firmly "if you think I'm letting you go fight Death buy himself." Dean never thought to consider there would be another reason for Kim to want to go with him to find Death. It never even entered his mind, but Kim needed to talk to Death about something that she thought he would know the answer to.

All of them were outside as Castiel packed a spare car Bobby had laying about, getting ready to fight. Crowley wandered over with a small instrumental in his hand, something Kim recognised instantly.

"Here you go, Dean," Crowley said as he handed him a small scythe. "Death's own. Kills, golly, demons and angels and reapers and, rumor has it, the very thing itself." He turned to Kim and smirked. "I think you got yourself covered," he continued as she rolled her eyes.

"I'm more comfortable with a blade, believe it or not," she sighed, looking at the scythe and licking her teeth.

"How did you get that?" Cas asked suspiciously, causing offence to Crowley.

"Hello -King of the Crossroads. So, shall we?" he said to Bobby and Castiel, ushering him into the car, leaving Sam, Kim and Dean alone.

"All right, well... good luck stopping the whole zombie apocalypse," Dean said to Sam, handing him some equipment and Sam nodded and smirked. Kim stood next to Dean as they spoke.

"Yeah. Good luck killing Death," Sam replied, taking the equipment and holding it by his side. Dean nodded and turned to Kim, looking down on her remorsefully. Kim nodded and licked her teeth, sighing. "Kim, I'm really sorry-"

"Don't be," she sighed regrettably, "you're right." Sam didn't reply, feeling a layer of guilt, feeling like this may be the last conversation they had. The world was crumbling at their fingertips, forcing them to separate and this was the last thing Kim would have said to him.

"Remember when we used to just... hunt wendigos? How simple things were?" Sam asked, looking back at through the years.

"Yeah," Kim sighed, the word taking her back to the memories of Ellen, Jo and Ash wondering how her life would have turned out of she had just turned down that hunt with the Winchesters. "Those were the days."

•※•

Kim, Dean and Crowley drove in the Impala like it was the last time. Classic rock blasted for the stereo to try and drown their thoughts, but there is only so much music can do. Kim sat in front with Crowley in the back, Dean driving with one of his hands of Kim's thigh, comforting him slightly. As they rolled into town, they were surprised to find that the whole place was lively and well.

"Hey, let's stop for pizza," Crowley suggested, pointing to a pizza place on the street they were driving down. Dean turned to Crowley stiffly, as did Kim and they stared at him for a full minute.

"Are you kidding?" Dean hissed.

"Just heard it was good. That's all," Crowley shrugged. "Up ahead. Big, ugly building. Ground zero. Horseman's stable, if you will. He's in there." Crowley explained, pointing to a rather abandoned looking building, hidden by the liveliness of the town.

"You know this how?" Kim asked quickly.

"Have you met me? 'Cause I know. Also, the block is squirming with reapers," Crowley continued. "I'll be right back." Instantly, Crowley disappeared from the back seat, leaving Kim and Dean in the Impala before reappearing as quickly as he left. "Boy is my face red. Death's not in there."

"You want to cut the cute and get to the part where you tell me where he is?" Dean hissed.

"Sorry. I don't know," he shrugged.

"What do you mean, 'you don't know'?" Kim hissed. "Bobby's soul rides on you knowing!"

"Relax. All deals are soul back or store credit. We'll catch Death in the next doomed city," Crowley shrugged with little concern or care.

"Millions, Crowley. Millions of people are about to die any minute," Dean seethed at him from the front seat and Crowley shrugged.

"True. So I strongly suggest we get out of here."

•※•

They had found him. In the silhouettes of the depths of a town that was still surprisingly undead. He lurked in the unsuspected shelter of a pizzeria that stood in the light of the town. People passed in the street, unaware that there was only a wall perpetrating them from the Angel of Death.

They didn't want to approach the building, although thoroughly hidden in the lively surroundings, it was apparent that Death lurked in those walls. Dull shaded and lifeless, the walls seeped the fog of death that hung in the air, and as they got closer, the temperature started to drop.

They stood at the door, only a hallway in between them and Death, and with each step, they started to feel him writhe within them. The fear, sweaty palms and racing hearts as they walked through the hallway.

Walls the colour of merlot seemed to narrow as they drew closer to the far room. Dean held the scythe firmly in his hands, his attention alert to his surroundings. Kim matched his slow pace, her eyes were about to fall upon the horseman everyone feared. The one who could take everything away from them. The one who did take everything away from her.

A soft shine of holy light shone from the room they were walking to. It was a dim glow of demise that caused the pin on Kim's collar to shine similarly. The room was approaching faster than they would like, but one way or another, they were going to have to face death.

They peered from a distance into the oncoming room, to see a man sitting at a round table with two empty seats opposite him. Kim's eyes stared at the figured man until they grew close enough to decipher some details.

His posture was straight as he towered over everything in the room. Whose hair was slicked back and tucked neatly behind his ears, not a single hair out of place. His pale skin was dominated by gravity, blemished and old. His face long and cheeks sunken, eyes of black that were hollow and vacant.

His gaze moved from the pizza in front of him to the people that approached him, but his eyes avoided the gaze of Kim and solely focused on Dean. A hard gaze followed him as he moved before his eyes traced the scythe that he held. Dean felt it heat up in his hand to an inhumane temperature. A hiss left his throat as he was forced to drop the weapon, but before it could even hit the ground, it had appeared in Death's hand.

"Thanks for returning that," Death said, his voice was hollow with destruction. His tone croaky and rigid. A death like silence had fallen across the room as they felt the temperature drop. He looked back at his pizza as he spoke.

Finally, he looked up, his deep eyes meeting Dean's. "Join me, Dean. The pizza's delicious." It took a while for them to register, a deadly silence fell over the room. "Sit down. Took you long enough to find me. I've been wanting to talk to you."

They didn't move at first, both as shocked as each other at the fact that both of them were alive in the presence of Death. They took a hesitant step, knowing that keeping Death waiting was not a smart option to chose.

Looking at each other, they took their seats across from the man that stole their loved ones. The closer they got to him, the temperature dropped. "I got to say -I have mixed feelings about that. So is this the part where... where you kill us?" Death stopped and looked at Dean.

"You have an inflated sense of your importance. To a thing like me, a thing like you, well... think how you'd feel if a bacterium sat at your table and started to get snarky," he described with a tone of ruination. "This is one little planet in one tiny solar system in a galaxy that's barely out of its diapers."

There was a silence as Death paused, letting his words linger in the air, withering away their self-importance. "I'm old, Dean. Very old. So I invite you to contemplate how insignificant I find you." Death gestured to the pizza. "Eat."

Dean obeyed and took an uninterested bite of the pizza, not really contemplating or appreciating the flavours as Death had. "Good, isn't it?" Kim stayed silent. She watched as Death avoided her gaze as effortlessly as it was to ignore an insignificant piece of dust.

"Just out of curiosity, how old are you?" Kim asked Death, who's eyes slithered never met Kim's and her comment was ignored. The silence filled the room as Death continued to eat his pizza. Kim resited to roll her eyes at the presence of Death, but if she had it wouldn't have mattered, to Death she had never entered the room.

Dean looked to Kim, for the first time taking his eyes of Death since he had entered the room.

"How old are you?" Dean asked in place for Kim, and Death looked up and met his gaze.

"As old as God. Maybe older. Neither of us can remember anymore. Life, death, chicken, egg. Regardless - at the end, I'll reap him, too," Death continued.

"God? You'll reap God?" Dean asked, astonished.

"Oh, yes. God will die, too, Dean." Deaths eyes hollowed further and for the first time, he switched his attention to Kim who was shrivelled by his gaze. "Everyone dies."

"Well, this is way above my pay grade," Dean sighed and licked his teeth, looking down.

"Just a bit," Death agreed.

"So, then why am I still breathing, sitting here with you? Uh...w-what do you want?" Dean asked quickly, pacing himself.

"The leash around my neck -off. Lucifer has me bound to him. Some unseemly little spell. He has me where he wants when he wants. That's why I couldn't go to you. I had to wait for you to catch up. He made me his weapon. Hurricanes, floods, raising the dead. I'm more powerful than you can process, and I'm enslaved to a bratty child with a temper tantrum," he said, disgusted.

"You want us to unbind you?" Dean asked.

"There's your ridiculous bravado again. Of course, you can't. But you can help me take the bullets out of Lucifer's gun. I understand you want this," Death said, moving to hold up his ring.

"Yeah."

"I'm inclined to give it to you," Death replied.

"To give it to me?" Dean asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That's what I said," Death answered.

"But what about..."

"Chicago? I suppose it can stay. I like the pizza." There was a silence. "There are conditions."

"Okay. Like?"

"You have to do whatever it takes to put Lucifer in his cell," Death said seriously.

"Of course," Dean replied casually.

"Whatever it takes," Death ordered.

"That's the plan," Dean nodded.

"No. No plan. Not yet. Your brother. He's the one that can stop Lucifer." Death stopped and became deadly serious. "The only one." Kim swallowed a lump in her throat as she stared Death in the eye.

"What, you think -"

"I know." Death retreated his ring from the grasps of Dean. "Dean, I need a promise. You're going to let your brother jump right into that fiery pit. Well, do I have your word?" he asked, leaning over the table to make sure Dean knew that he was serious.

"Okay, yeah. Yes," Dean replied.

"That had better be 'yes', Dean. You know you can't cheat death." Death looked stared at Dean, his hollow eyes falling to Kim. His long arm reached out and handed her the ring and she twirled it in her fingers. Dean rolled his eyes at his dramatic stare and stood from the table, but Kim didn't follow. She stayed seated at the table at Deaths presence, and she was there for a reason.

As Dean took his first step, he released Kim wasn't by his side and he quickly turned to see she hadn't left her seat. He watched as Death stared at Kim as fiercely as she was staring at him.

"Kim," Dean called, gesturing for her to follow him, but neither of them moved.

"Dean," Death said without breaking eye contact. His expression littered with superior disgust. "You can leave."

Dean stopped in his place, his brooding eyes switching between Kim and Death as they sat in silence, the dim, white light looming over them. He pursed his lips and adjusted his position.

"Kim-" Before he could even finish his sentence, with a simple swirl of Death's hand, he had transported Dean outside of the restaurant, locking the door, preventing him from entering. The two of them were alone in the room. The silence lingered around the room and the unsettled dust drifted through the dim rays of light. The room started to feel colder without Dean, a shiver trickled down her spine.

There was so turning back now.

•※•

Dean had been locked outside for an hour, spending all his time banging on the door and trying to get it open. His fists were raw from banged on the door and his throat was sore from yelling into nothing. People stared at him as they walked along the street but he didn't care; Kim might never walk out through those doors.

His fist was about to smash against the door one more time, but the doors opened fiercely and forced Dean to stop mid-knock. An expression of utter dismay crowded her face as she stood at the entrance, the tips of her toes on the line of the door.

She stood with her hands wrapped around her chest, her jacket hugged closer to her than usual. Her eyes as dead as Death himself and her lips open slightly. Dean could feel her sunken heart as she stepped out of the restaurant. A numbness spread across her body as she stepped out and walked past Dean, shoving the Death's ring into his chest.

"Let's go."


	67. Chapter Sixty-Five

_On April 21, 1967, the 100 millionth GM vehicle rolled off the line at the plant in Janesville - a blue two-door Caprice. There was a big ceremony, speeches. The lieutenant governor even showed up. Three days later, another car rolled off that same line. No one gave two craps about her. But they should_ have, _because this 1967 Chevrolet Impala would turn out to be the most important car - the most important object - in pretty much the whole universe. She was first owned by Sal Moriarty, an alcoholic with two ex-wives and three blocked arteries. On weekends, he'd drive around giving Bibles to the poor 'gettin' folks right for Judgment Day.' That's what he said. Sam and Dean don't know any of this, but if they did, I bet they'd smile. After Sal died, she ended up at Rainbow Motors, a used-car lot in Lawrence, where a young marine bought her on impulse. That is, after a little advice from a friend._

 _I guess that's where this story begins._

 _And here's where it ends._

It wasn't the beautiful day that everyone wished for the end of the world. Instead of soft sun and clear skies for the Winchesters and Kim to enjoy one last time, it was grim and dull. The sun was hidden behind thick blankets of clouds that settled a cold and eerie chill over the three of them. The kind of chill that was sent straight to the chest, freezing quickly. It was the fitting day for the end of the world.

Dean had already told Sam that he was prepared to follow through with Sam's plan, even if it went against every fibre in his body. Sam and Kim were sitting on the Impala, both of them sipping their beers and minding their own business. It was a comfortable silence between them; being friends for such a long time made it hard for them not find comfort in each others company when comfort was such a scarce thing to find.

Sam and Kim had their differences, there was no arguing the point but that point seemed useless and childish as they faced what was the last day of Earth. Sam turned to Kim as she stared straight up at the clouds, watching them drift effortlessly and carelessly, the weight of the world below them on her shoulders. He turned to her and watched her sip her beer, sighing in satisfaction as if left her lips.

"You know," Sam said, gathering her attention and earning her glance. "Calling you back at the Roadhouse all those years ago was probably the best decision I've ever made; not only because I've never seen Dean happier." He smiled at her and he watched her lips curve into a small smirk. Sam didn't really expect a response and Kim knew that, so she didn't bother replying to his comment except for the small smile she released.

Kim sighed, the silence returning between them. A small gush of wind blew Kim's hair around softly as she looked back at the clouds, taking another sip. "Your plan's gonna take a lot of demon blood," Kim said, not breaking her stare with the clouds. Sam just nodded, a small action Kim could saw from the corner of her eye.

Sam knew she wasn't comfortable with the plan and after she brought up the subject he was trying to avoid, he felt just how much she didn't trust him through the weight of her worlds. The silence continued as they both waited for either of them to say something.

"I know," he said and Kim nodded her head. There was a silence between them. Sam genuinely did know, he knew very well what he had to do and he was somewhat confident that he could do it. Kim didn't have the same faith, not for him or herself. It just seemed like the day the world was going to end, no matter what they did or who did it.

"Good." Her lips were dry as the words left her mouth, leaving a bitter taste on her tongue. It was true. She didn't; but as much as she didn't trust herself, she didn't trust Sam but she was too late in her conquest to prevent his actions and she had to live with the consequence.

Sam knew she didn't expect a reply, so he didn't bother responding. He just took another sip and let the words linger in his mind for a soft minute.

•※•

Kim stood over the bodies of the demons she had just murdered, her expression brooding and dry as she wiped the blood off of her face with her sleeve. They dropped with a snap of her fingers, a whole room of demons at her mercy. They crumbled to the floor, the loud bangs of their heads smashing against the concrete floor. The Winchesters and Castiel stood behind her and simply watched.

They watched as the demons dropped at her will. Dean scowled, turning to Sam, but his gaze stood unfazed against Sam who was still determined to be the one who stopped Lucifer. Maybe it was for more than the reason he explained, more than the fact that he believed Kim was not worthy. Maybe he had something to prove, someone to save; whether that be Dean or Kim for Dean's sake. No matter the reason, there was no changing the outcome now. Death had paid his cents.

As they drained the blood of the demons, they packed the gallons they had already harvested before getting into the Impala and drove off, all of them slightly disgusted by what they just did and the measure they were taking to prevent the end of the world.

The drove until night fell, Dean driving with Sam shotgun, Kim tangled in the back seat; like always. Cas sat next to her, his head drooping as he slept. The silence crept up on them, the only sound was the hum of the car. Kim couldn't rest, neither could the brothers as they drove, seemingly towards their doom.

All of them knew it was never going to end well. No one was going to survive this time. This was the end; they knew it. Kim sat awake in the back, contemplating. Kim rubbed her eyes, feeling the weight of the lift. Kim looked up to see Dean glancing at her in the mirror, a small, dead smile crawled on his lips as their eyes met. Neither of them had spoken about what was going to happen after this. Dean wondered what Kim was going to do without him, burdened on this Earth for eternity is the only thing worse than knowing your untimely death was near. Living with the death of everyone, only wanting an escape but knowing there will never be one.

Trapped. She was trapped.

"Aw. Ain't he a little angel?" Dean smirked, moving his gaze form Kim to Cas.

"Angels don't sleep," Sam sighed, looking at him before switching to Kim. They were in a comfortable place, a type of mercy shared mutually between them. She smiled weakly at him, gaining a small smile back. Kim's chest fell as she sighed. There was a silence.

"You got to promise me something," Sam said into the silence, not looking at Dean.

"Okay. Yeah. Anything."

"You got to promise not to try to bring me back."

"What? No, I didn't sign up for that."

"Dean -"

"Your Hell is gonna make my tour look like Graceland. You want me just to sit by and do nothing?"

"Once the Cage is shut, you can't go poking at it, Dean. It's too risky."

"No, no, no, no, no. As if I'm just gonna let you rot in there."

"Yeah, you are. You don't have a choice."

"You can't ask me to do this."

"I'm sorry, Dean. You have to."

"So then what am I supposed to do?"

"You stay with Kim, okay? You stay with Kim and put this stupid hunting behind you. You rest for the first time in your life. You pray to God she's dumb enough to start a life with you and you thank me for the rest of time that I called her back from the Roadhouse," Sam said rapidly. "You go live some normal, apple-pie life. I won't die for anything less. Promise me."

•※•

Sam had said his goodbyes. It was his final word before he became possessed. He apologised for things he hadn't done yet or for potentially letting everyone down. He started having his own doubts about his plan, questioning if he should've supported Kim in stopping Lucifer. After all, it was God's plan. It was her job. It was her destiny, but things change. Kim grew to understand that through her years with the Winchesters. Things change one death at a time until you have nothing to lose and no hope for the better.

Believe it or not, Kim was tired. She knew it was her job to do what Sam was doing and she knew that Sam wouldn't be able to control Lucifer the second he accepts him, but she was tired. Tired or arguing. Tired of hoping. Tired of the responsibility of the world resting on her shoulder. It was Sam's weight now and he had accepted it without thinking.

Sam chugged the gallons of demon blood that was in the car making sure herself and Dean weren't watching him. He was disgusted with himself, too ashamed of his actions to even let them watch him. As they stood in the alley across the road from the building that held Lucifer, Sam drank and Kim pretended that she couldn't hear his gulps. Sam turned to them, teeth and lips stained with blood.

"Okay. Let's go," Sam said, whipping his mouth with his sleeve, but it was less than useless in an attempt to get all the blood off. A rotten smell rose as Sam neared the two of them. He passed and started walking towards the building, Dean and Kim following after.

Sam raised his arms as he approached the building, screaming to the demons in the window. "All right! We're here, you sons of bitches! Come and get it!" The demons leave the window and visit them outside.

"Hey, guys," Dean said. "Is your father home?"

They were being led down a hallway. The smell of wet wood and gas filled the building. The demons stopped outside a door, gesturing for them to enter. Kim swallowed the lump in her throat as she prepared herself to meet Lucifer again. With the hesitation to enter, the demons threw them inside, the three of them stumbled as they enter the dimly lit room as a figure stood by the window.

He turned, his face sickly and ill, peeling and red from trauma. He was disgusting, but he held a smirk on his lips. "Hey, guys. So nice of you to drop in."

 _The Impala, of course, has all the things other cars have... and a few things they don't. But none of that stuff's important. This is the stuff that's important. The army man that Sam crammed in the ashtray - it's still stuck there. The Legos that Dean shoved into the vents - to this day, heat comes on and they can hear 'em rattle. Even the bullet Kim had accidentally shot in the dashboard was there from all those years ago. To this day, she didn't think Dean had noticed, but he had. It was just another thing he found special about the car. These are the things that make the car theirs - really theirs. Even when Dean rebuilt her from the ground up, he made sure all these little things stayed, 'cause it's the blemishes that make her beautiful._

 _The Devil doesn't know or care what kind of car the boys drive._

The room was chilly, almost freezing. They watched as Lucifer blew on the window he was near, creating a mist on the glass. With his finger, he drew a pitchfork in the frost. As he turned back to them, she felt a clench in her heart.

"Sorry if it's a bit chilly. Most people think I burn hot. It's actually quite the opposite," Lucifer informed, his tone laced with calm.

"Well, I'll alert the media." Lucifer rolled his eyes at Dean before switching to Kim. A smirk fell on his lips, feeling as if he had an upper hand in the situation. Instantly, with only a swirl of his wrist, he threw her backwards. His strength pushed her through the back wall of the room and into the other. She landed with a roll, tucking her hands to her chest as she did. She was so incredibly tired. Her head smashed against the concrete an she felt her core pound with pain. She hadn't even the time to get up before Lucifer had his grasp around her, levitating her in the air. It was impossible for her to move as he brought her back into the room, a smirk on his lips as he watched the brothers expression.

"Help me understand something, guys. I mean, stomping through my front door is... a tad suicidal, don't you think?" Lucifer questioned. "I mean, without Kim, anyway."

"We're not here to fight you," Sam replied.

"No? Then why are you?"

"I want to say 'yes'." Lucifer dropped Kim in an interest and Dean rushed over to her instantly to help her up. She clutched to him, he felt her nail dig into his skin as he pulled her up.

"It's okay, I got you," he soothed, kissing her forehead as he held her close.

"Excuse me?" Sam took a breath and the demons in the room dropped dead with a flash of light. Lucifer watched with amusement.

"Chock-full of Ovaltine, are we?" Lucifer smirked, not threatened.

"You heard me. Yes," Sam said forcefully, stepping forward.

"You're serious?" Lucifer raised an eyebrow, still amused.

"Look, Judgment Day's a runaway train. We get it now. We just want off."

"Meaning?"

"Deal of the century. I give you a free ride, but when it's all over, I live, he lives, you bring our parents back -"

"Okay, can we please drop the telenovela? I know you have the rings," Lucifer interrupted, shrugging. The three of them shuffled slightly. They hadn't thought what they were going to do if Lucifer figured out their plan.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Sam stammered.

"The Horsemen's rings? The magic keys to my Cage? Ring a bell?" Lucifer smirked as Kim stood up. "Come on, Sam. I've never lied to you. You could at least pay me the same respect. It's okay. I'm not mad. A wrestling match inside your noggin... I like the idea. Just you and me, one round, no tricks. You win, you jump in the hole. I win... Well, then I win. What do you say, Sam?" Kim straightened her back. "A fiddle of gold against your soul says I'm better than you."

Sam looked to Dean, but Dean's eyes looked over Kim as she fixed her stance. He had known her for all these years, he knew what her stance meant. He could see she was tired; he saw that she was just so exhausted but she was still going to do her job. She always did.

"So he knows. Doesn't change anything," Sam shrugged stiffly.

"Sam."

"We don't have any other choice."

Kim stood there, the most powerful creature in the universe was at their dispense, and she let the Devil take over Sam's body. They watched helplessly as Lucifer closed his eyes and a bright light emanated from him, blinding them. Dean's arms wrapped around Kim and shielded her from the light until it went dim.

Sam laid motionless on the floor and without waiting, Dean threw the rings at the wall where they stick before casting the spell. A black hole appeared on the wall where the rings once were. It was huge and ridged, like a bottomless pit. Air started to get sucked in, a horrid noise emitted from the suction. Kim and Dean ran to Sam, helping him off the floor as he stirred.

Kim watched him with, feeling her chest sink with a slither of hope in her eyes as she watched Sam fight. He was fighting so hard; too hard. Kim placed her hand on the collar of her jacket, feeling an absence in her soul. She watched for what seemed like ages.

"Sammy!" Dean yelled as he pulled Sam up, the flurry of air ruing their hair.

"Dean!" Sam yelled for his brother.

"Sammy!" Sam groaned, his eyes clenched shut.

"I can feel him. Oh, god!" Sam winced as he fought. Kim watched, her hand never retreated, only satisfied when Sam threw Lucifer in Hell.

"You got to go now! Come on!" Dean helped Sam to the entrance to Hell. "Go now, Sammy. Now!" Hesitantly, Sam took another step towards the hole, the wind blowing around his hair as he looked to his brother for the last time. A smile appeared on his lips; Kim's heart went crashing to the floor as her grip on her empty collar hardened.

"I was just messing with you. Sammy's long gone," Lucifer smirked as he walked up to the two of them. Kim could feel his power get stronger with every second. With a swirl of his hand, the hold closed and he removed the horseman rings form the wall. His eyes switched to Kim. "You let a human do your job and this is the consequence you have to pay."

Kim's heart dropped as she looked into the eyes she once knew and saw a different man. An emptiness filled her making her feel hollow and useless. The Devil walked the Earth, more powerful than ever, and she had lost everything she had worked to obtain for no reason.

Impulsively, Kim wrapped her hands around his head as her eyes changed to a shade of electric blue, lighting up the whole room. Lucifer cried as she squeezed his head, the both of them shook. She felt everything she had pour into him, all her strength used to try and control him.

Her hands started to heat up and her eyes started to dim, darkening the room as she became weaker. A smile crept onto Lucifers lips. She had given Sam a chance to fight again by suppressing Lucifer for a small amount of time, but he was too strong.

A blinding, white light emitted from Lucifer and she felt the room start to heat up. He was too powerful and Kim was too inexperienced to fight and she was sent stumbling away from Lucifer. Pain started to tingle through her body as Lucifer sent wave after wave of power towards the two of them in an attempt to kill what was now, his only threat.

Kim moved to cover Dean, unknowingly creating an invisible shield around them as the light grew hotter; so hot that it pierced the shield she had made. It was obvious that Lucifer was much stronger with Sam's vessel and they had made their job so much harder now. Kim hugged Dean, looking up from the comfort of hiding her head in Dean's shoulder to see a faint, clear circle around them, that was slowly wearing away with flames from the heat. As the shield broke, she started to feel the heat again, but by then, Lucifer had gone and his attempt was ruined.

Kim pulled back from Dean as the room dimmed from the harmful light and she watched as he wiped a tear from his cheek, his eyes red and puffy from crying. Kim swallowed a lump in her burning throat, her muscles growing weaker from the exposure but her grip on Dean didn't waver. She had just lost everything for nothing.

•※•

The day rose upon them but didn't seem as bright as usual. People weren't walking along the streets and the sun stayed hidden behind a bed of clouds. Kim, Dean, Castiel and Bobby were in the street, watching the news from a strong window.

Reports are flooding in - a 7.6 earthquake in Portland, 8.1 in Boston, more in Hong Kong, Berlin, and Tehran. The U.S.G.S. has no explanation but says to expect a six-figure death toll," the reporter stated as they watched the news. Kim sighed as she rubbed her temple.

"It's starting," Castiel mentioned as the four of them watched.

"Yeah, you think, genius?" Dean growled.

"You don't have to be mean," Castiel replied. Dean didn't respond, he only looked to Kim who's doubts about herself were getting stronger as more and more people depended on her for a solution.

"You can fix this, right?" Dean asked her, taking her hand in his. Kim sighed, not looking up at him. She didn't want to see the disappointment on his face when she said that she couldn't. The disappointment when she said that her control over her ability hadn't grown stronger since the last time he asked. That in her attempt to stop Lucifer, she may burn the world down herself.

"I can't control this, Dean. What if I kill Sam, huh? Or you?" she breathed. "What if I kill you?"

"One life for the world," Dean replied.

"What if I take the world down, too?" Kim pleaded for him to realise. She had already done what she could and it wasn't enough. The world was going to end. Gabriel was wrong; she couldn't do this. She looked to Dean's eyes and saw the one thing she didn't want to see, so she moved closer to him and whispered in his ear so that Castiel and Bobby couldn't hear her. "But you're stubborn, I know you're planning a suicidal fight and you're not going without me."

 _In between jobs, Sam and Dean would sometimes get a day - sometimes a week, if they were lucky. They'd pass the time lining their pockets. Sam used to insist on honest work, but now he hustles pool, like his brother. They could go anywhere and do anything. They drove 1,000 miles for an Ozzy show, two days for a Jayhawks game. And when it was clear, they'd park her in the middle of nowhere, sit on the hood, and watch the stars... for hours... without saying a word. It never occurred to them that, sure, maybe they never really had a roof and four walls..._

 _but they were never, in fact, homeless._

Castiel and Bobby had spent the day waiting for the world to end while Kim and Dean waited for night to fall. Stull Cemetery, Lawrence was their destination and they only had until noon the next day to get there. The hours were running out and they had no time to argue with Bobby and Castiel so they sneak out without bumping into them. It was pitch black outside in the alleyway and Dean had closed the trunk of the Impala, the two of them mentally preparing themselves for what was hopefully not their last day on earth.

"You goin' someplace?" Bobby asked as he emerged from the shadows. "You're goin' to do somethin' stupid. You got that look." Without looking at him or stopping his movements, Dean answered.

"I'm gonna go talk to Sam."

"You just don't give up," Bobby grouched.

"It's Sam!"

"If you couldn't reach him here, you're certainly not gonna be able to on the battlefield," Castiel informed him and Dean sighed ta the angel.

"Well, if we've already lost, I guess I got nothing to lose, right?" Dean argued, taking Kim's hand and moving to the front of the car where they were about to enter.

"I just want you to understand - the only thing that you're gonna see out there is Michael killing your brother," Castiel continued. Kim let out a breath at Castiel's rough and unsympathetic tone.

"Well, then I ain't gonna let him die alone." With that, Dean ducked into the Impala with Kim by his side. He switched on the engine with no hesitation and they were heading down the road. Kim turned to him and sighed.

"Here goes nothing."


	68. Chapter Sixty-Six

Through the mist of dust that settled over the cemetery, the aroma of dead flowers and a hint of pine hung in the dead air. The earth beneath them was dry, robbed from all moisture and for it to sustain life would be a miracle in itself.

A metal fence lined the cemetery, tall and rusted from neglect. Brown, dead vines and stiff shrubs grew untamed up the fence and covered it from bottom to top, not a single sign of life through the twigs. Forgotten gravestones crumbled in their spot, unloved and untouched for years. Names faded from the stones as the memorabilia of the lost soul crumbled to the floor, hidden in the tall, dead blades of grass or stuck under dirt.

An inhuman power resonated through the lifeless land, where an awesome power would eventually come to die. Lucifer was in the presence of his occupants, each grave a metal of success. His home was with tainted and tortured souls and the cemetery was his place of power.

He stood between the graves, looming over the helpless, abandoned memories of the dead, waiting for his brother. Although he was possessing Sam, he looked nothing like him. The boyish glisten in Sam's eyes had turned into the glow of hellfire and the soft expression on his face was stone cold and vicious. Lucifers posture was straight and firm, the hood of his eyes adding a tone of poison to his appearance; even in Sam's clothes, they looked nothing alike.

The lifeless tone of the cemetery was disturbed by the flutter of wings. The abrupt noise sounded through the plains of graves, but Lucifer did not flinch. A man appeared not far from Lucifer, and without even looking, Lucifer could sense the presence of his brother wearing Adam's vessel.

"It's good to see you, Michael," Lucifer greeted lowly, his tone slow and threatening as his eyes met the stare of his brother's.

"You too," Michael addressed. "It's been too long. Can you believe it's finally here?" he breathed, his eyes shouting superiority.

"No. Not really," Lucifer admitted as he faced his older brother. The brothers continued to talk, but Lucifer's attempt to end their fight was demolished by Micheals stubbornness and his own wrath.

Destiny had fallen upon that cemetery that day. No words were going to change what God had planned. They knew their fate was set but the unknown outcome weighted over their heads as they thought about the inevitability of their war. The war that was going to end the world was at their fingertips. One move away from destruction and billions of people would lose their lives. The Earth would be uninhabitable, beyond repair and God's greatest creations would be no more.

As their argument grew, they each saw what they wanted to see in each other. Lucifer, a rebellious child that needed to be put in his place. Michael, the stiff soldier that followed orders no matter the consequence. They saw someone who needed to be fixed.

Death was approaching with every second that passed. The fight was going to happen and someone had to win and someone had to lose. As the brothers argued, the silence of the cemetery was broken by the distant pounding of classic rock music, so faint, yet it was enough to stop their conversation.

The roar of the Impala crawled through the cracks of the cemetery ground, making the floor shake. Dean drove with Kim, both expressions fearless although fear writhed within them. The end of the world was minutes away, there was no time to fear when you had nothing to lose.

The archangels, beyond furious, turned to them as Kim and Dean stepped out of the Impala that was parked only meters away from them. They knew this was a bad idea and the end of the world was being provoked by their attendance, but they both had lost so much in their fight to get them there that they at least had to try; as if the both of them had already accepted that it was the end of the world.

"Howdy, boys," Dean greeted and Kim sent a nod in their direction. "Sorry. Am I interrupting something?" Michael looked over the two of them before ending his gaze upon Kim, who's rugged exterior was a disappointing resting place for God's grace. He stepped towards her, his attention focused on this creature before him.

"You," he started, "are the one blessed with God's grace?" he asked. She could hear the disappointment in his voice, but she wasn't afraid of disappointing him.

"I wouldn't really call it a blessing," Kim shrugged as Michael shook his head.

"Ungrateful. Humans have always been ungrateful to what God had given them," Michael tutted.

"Why should I be grateful when that ass is about to let the whole world end?" Kim spat causing Michael to fire up.

"He foresaw this and created you to stop him!" he spat, pointing to his brother, Lucifer. "You are the disappointment, not God. He, once again, put his responsibility into the wrong kind!"

"Calm down, jackass. I get it," Kim seethed as Micheal inched closer.

"If you were not made with the grace of God, I would smite you right now," he spat as Kim smirked.

"You couldn't even if you wanted to," she reiterated, smirked and taking a step back to Dean who was facing Lucifer.

"Hey. We need to talk," Dean breathed as he faced Lucifer. Lucifer rolled his eyes at Dean as leaned on one leg.

"Dean. Even for you, this is a whole new mountain of stupid." He shook his head in disappointment.

"I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to Sam," Dean seethed lowly. Each time Lucifer spoke from Sam's mouth, it felt like a wound being reopened.

"You're no longer the vessel, Dean. You got no right to be here," Micheal asserted.

"That's alright. He's with me," Kim nodded, turning to Michael and sending him a smirk.

"Adam, if you're in there somewhere, I am so sorry," Dean continued.

"Adam isn't home right now," Michael smirked.

"Well, then you're next on my list, buttercup. But right now, I need five minutes with him," Dean said, pointing to Lucifer. Michael seethed in anger from the disrespect, his face reddening and eyes hooded.

"You little maggot! You are no longer a part of this story!" Michael seethed, a fiery hatred in him towards them as he stared the scum that dared speak to him. In his fury, he marched towards them to eliminate their presence.

Kim struck her hand towards Micheal, but she knew her action was useless. She felt no power within her and her lack of faith and her hopeless demeanour that caused her reckless attitude just relaxed her ability to control her power. She had accepted her uselessness and the world did too and her lack of faith in herself and lack of care for the outcome of that day's rest put her abilities to sleep; for had lost everything and she no longer cared.

"Hey, ass-butt!" the deep voice of Castiel shouted from behind them. She watched as Castiel stood with Bobby at the gates of the cemetery. With determination, he threw a burning bottle towards Michael. It burned him, he caught alight quick. His whole vessel engulfed in flames before he vanished into thin air.

"'Ass-butt'?" Dean asked as he looked to Castiel.

"He'll be back - and upset - but you got your five minutes," Castiel explained as he panted, having no time to respond to Dean's comment.

"Castiel. Did you just Molotov my brother with holy fire?" Lucifer seethed, looking at Castiel as he stammered in his spot.

"Uh... no?" Castiel replied, shaking. It was obvious that he was nervous, and rightly so. Lucifer was seething and utterly furious, eyes fiery red.

"No one dicks with Michael but me," Lucifer seethed through his teeth; before Kim could even register what was happening, Lucifer snapped his fingers and Castiel exploded in a rain of blood and chunks of meat. Kim watched as what was left of Castiel rained down on the floor, a tight clenching in her heart as such an honourable angel vanished with a click of Lucifer's fingers. It seemed they would lose the fight just as quickly.

Everything was falling apart, one step at a time. Her whole world was standing only a few feet away from Lucifer and he too could easily be destroyed with just a simple snap of his fingers, and she could do nothing to stop him.

It made her wonder why she put so much of her life into that man, so much of her care and concern. She wondered what her life would be like if she had never met the Winchesters; if she had just kept her head down and ignored them; if she refused to go on that hunt with them. She wondered where she would be; if she would have eventually bumped into them; if she ever would have figured out what she was or maybe even complete her job.

She wondered what her life would be like without the Winchesters; without Dean. She hated the thought and hated herself for even thinking of it.

A world without the man that annoyed her to her last wit, that pushed every single button she had was a world she dreaded; a world with no hope. She couldn't imagine her life without him, how he made her feel or all the memories she had of them together would have never happened. No warm beds at night or his arm safety secured around her when she woke up. No soft fairy kisses or secret glances he thought she couldn't see. No love in her life more romantic than the one she felt for Dean.

No one had ever made her feel the way that Dean did and that is why she never regretted meeting them, only regretted the outcome of it. For even if she had never met the Winchesters or fallen in love with Dean, she would have always had God's grace in her, she would have ended in that exact spot. This would have always been the end of the world.

Everything was falling apart around her, and although she tried to be as courageous as Dean, she knew that this was the end. She had failed once again and death had surrounded her for another time and she was going to have to watch everyone she loved die.

Hatred so repellent of love ran through her veins as she stared at the angel willing to let the world die, the angel that was about to take everything from her.

"Sammy, can you hear me?" Dean asked softly to his brother as he stared into the eyes of pure evil, an evil that was growing increasingly infuriated by Dean and his persistence.

"You know..." Lucifer spat at Dean as he stepped closer to him. "I tried to be nice for Sammy's sake. But you are such a pain in my ass," Lucifer seethed, throwing Dean onto the hood of the Impala. The windshield shatters as Dean lay winded on top of his car, his face bruised and bleeding, Kim ran over to them, but before she could reach them she heard a shot fire through the air. The rush of wind from the passing bullet brushed her hair as Bobby shot a bullet into Lucifer's back.

Kim watched as Lucifer turned around, his eyes hooded and dark with a furious expression on his face. It was enough to send fear into her as he stared straight past her and into the soul of Bobby, who nervously shot another bullet into Lucifer's chest.

It was simple and sharp, Kim was unable to stop him. Lucifer had just twitched his hand and cracked Bobby's neck. The cracking sound shouted through the field like the crumbling of the grave. Bobby's lifeless body crashed to the floor.

Kim had become numb, numb with fury, numb with rage, numb with hatred. Everything! She had given up everything! She had worked so hard! The one thing she was looking forward to was ripped from under her fingertips.

Irritation and pure rage ran through her, making her hot and restless. Not even the thought of a life with Dean could have controlled her emotions for there was a chance he would never make it out of the cemetery.

She charged at Lucifer, screaming in utter pain as she sent her hand flying down with a strike, a scream so loud it shook the trees. She could finally feel the power writhe within her. It was instinctual, so paramount and primal, it was something she couldn't control even if she wanted to.

Sweat beaded and flew off of her skin at her sharp movement, her face red with pure rage that heated her.

Lucifer flew backwards, rolling as he landed as a heap on the floor but his power was so much stronger in Sam that he was almost completely unaffected. Charging up from his position and a twirl of his finger, Kim was sent doubling over in pain. It was stronger than the last time he fought her, his power so much more unadulterated. This was his true power, not when he was suppressed by his vessel. This was Lucifer.

White light poured out of Kim's eyes as searing white heat flourished through her veins as she harnessed the waves of pain into her fists. The Earth beneath them started to rumble as Kim grew more powerful. Graves were breaking and distant trees had fallen from the power she emitted into the Earth as she hunched over. Lucifer stumbled to his feet only to be slashed by the fierce force of Kim as she lashed at him. Sam's vessel was bleeding as he panted for air, trying to find an escape.

She screamed, her hands flying to her stomach to try and reduce her pain, but it was no match for Lucifer's power. Her lungs deprived of breath and her lips as dry as the dirt she stood on. She cried in pain, white emitting from her eyes as she opened them.

The light blinded Lucifer as the Earth started to shake. Kim could feel it emptying from her legs and into the Earth. It shook violently, the sound of fallen trees bounded through the plains of graves. The metal fence around the cemetery was melting due to the heat Kim cascaded into the ground, some dry and burnt plants bursting into flames.

If the world wasn't going to end at the hands of Lucifer, it was going to end at the hands of Kim's.

Kim approached Lucifer's fallen figure, she felt a hand grip her writs. Her head turned fiercely to find Dean had grabbed her softly. He looked into her searing eyes and saw the end of the world.

Kim stopped in her tracks. Dean's hand on her was cooling, calming. She felt the heat within her slowly die and the white behind her eyes slowly dimed until she was back to herself, staring into the eyes of the man she loved. His worried expression sent a small, reassuring smile to Kim's lips as she nodded to him to let go; but Dean didn't want to let go. She was a much comfort to him as he was to her and he just wished that moment could last forever because whatever was ahead of it was much, much worse.

"Thank you," she breathed, a tainted smile twitched on her lips, but before Dean could respond, Lucifer had sent her sent her flying backwards with a swing of his fist. Kim soared through the air, her back landing on top of a gravestone causing her to crumble to the floor.

Although her back was searing with white-hot pain, it was nothing she had never felt before. She had the upper hand on Lucifer, she had been tortured with no extent, she had been pushed to her limit, she had already felt all the pain she could feel. Lucifer was fresh, new to the touch. Each bruise to his grace was more painful than the last. The thing about being the torturer is that they have no idea the pain they inflict until they feel it for themselves.

She stammered to her feet and swirled her hand into a fist causing Lucifer's breath hitched, his shoulders sinking into themselves. The cracking of his bones stiffened him as the unsettling sound echoed. He began to shrivel and Kim's power started to present more of a threat than he was expecting in his new vessel. She rose to him, but as she did, she felt the world decaying under her feet. Sinkholes formed in the cemetery, dragging graves with it, bundles of fallen dirt burying the broken gravestones. The earth was rotting underneath her, more trees had fallen from the earthquakes she'd caused and she watched as the sky changed from an ordinary blue to a bleak grey and swirls of red clouded the sky.

Lucifer was falling within himself, blood and flesh oozed from his ripped skin as his shoulders and neck sunk into his torso. His joints twisting in the opposite directions. Heat unimaginable writhed within her in waves. White hot pain shot through her body and her lungs were losing air. Her muscles were becoming weaker, so tense and numb, she could feel herself dying with the Earth.

The world was ending, Lucifer had risen and Hell was released, Michael and Lucifer's fight was inevitable. Her life was the most insignificant thing she could think of and in a moment, she could have saved the world, but Lucifer screamed through his torture, his eyes lighting up red-fire and bloody and she was forced to let him go. Her hands unclenched and her knees buckled under her and her eyes faded back to normal. She wobbled to her knees, she didn't even know why. She couldn't fight, she had already tried.

Lucifer struck her down and when she attempted to rise, hit after hit kept knocking her back to the ground. Blood poured from the wound Lucifer had enforced on her, some she had created herself.

She had lost control and there was no way of getting it back; if she wanted to get it back. She was just so tired, so sore and she fought so god damn hard, it seemed so easy just to let go and watch fate unfold. She had tried everything she could until her body was weak and tarnished; until there was nothing left for her to do.

Lucifer hovered over Kim's stumbling form and sent her down with a smite. Kim's legs gave in and she crumbled at Lucifer's feet. Her face slashed and bruised from his wrath as he pounded punch after punch across her face until she was starting to go limp.

Kim reached her hand up to strike him, but as Lucifer clench his hands into a fist, Kim felt more pressure build up within her. Heated tension poured into her core as her heart struggled to keep up. Every muscle in her body ached, screaming at her in her attempt to move.

Lucifer pushed a force down on her that crushed her chest. She screamed, drowning Dean's pleas for her. All remaining trees that were standing crashed to the ground. Winds beyond the force of God hurled through the cemetery. Thunder called her name as lightning scarred the Earth on her behalf.

Her skin was boiling as the compression weighted down on her chest, putting tension on her heart. She felt every breath she took and every heartbeat she pumped. Every idea of hope she had felt impossible as Lucifer crushed her. Weaker she grew as the smile of Lucifer reigned down on her.

He released his fist and Kim was released from his hold, she was finally able to breathe again. She watcher as Lucifer stepped away from her crumbling body, blood pouring from her eyes and ears. Every muscle in her ached for release, any release.

Lucifer was pleased with his work, Kim only a mere fatigued form curled on the ground. He moved over to Dean, his stance confident with omnipotence. He stalked over to Dean who was laid upon the windshield as he watched the greatest thing that happened to him suffer tremendously on the ground of a cemetery, her scream and winces of pain were different from her others.

Lucifer was strong, there was no chance of Sam recovering from this now. She had failed the Winchesters, her family, the world. She had failed everyone. Kim's heart fell. Her limp hand barley curled into a fist. So much rage pent up inside her she became numb. Her nails dug into her palms so forcefully that it drew blood, and she finally let a tear fall. A tear fall for Gabriel, for Ash, for Ellen, for Jo and for all the family she missed dearly.

Lucifer punched Dean forcefully, a power that sent Dean's head smashing back into the windshield. Lucifer grabbed his shirt and pulled him up. Dean's legs crumbled under him as Lucifer pushed him against the driver's side of the Impala.

Kim watched as Dean's face inflamed, red and puffy as Lucifer punched him harder and harder. She just sat, laid on the ground in a hopeless mess of her own blood. Dean fell as Lucifer threw him around the Impala, smashing his head against the hood, creating a dint.

"Sammy? Are you in there?" Dean asked through inflamed lips, looking into Sam's eyes, only seeing Lucifer.

"Oh, he's in here, all right," Lucifer spat, saliva spitting from his lips. "And he's gonna feel the snap of your bones." Lucifer swung another punch towards Dean's face, his lip swelling up as Lucifer gripped onto Dean's shirt. Dean reached up and grabbed Sam, not fighting back. "Every single one." Dean's knees buckle and Lucifer hauled him up again. "We're gonna take our time." Lucifer repeatedly punched Dean. A chaotic pain writhed through him, his face swollen beyond recognition. Kim heaved herself, only to fall under her weight.

Kim crawled up on her knees, she felt them crunch into the dirt. Her hatred managed her strength to stand on her feet, odd and shaking. The winds she had created had died in her favour, but she let the thunder and lighting roar in her pain.

Shakily, she stood only a meter away from Lucifer. Her breathing was uneven and it was impossible for her to stand straight. Her posture wavered as she looked around Lucifer and saw Dean bleeding over the Impala, not even attempting to fight back.

They were both so, so tried.

Kim stumbled forward, her eyes flashing white one last time as her scream drowned the thunder. She let herself fall. Hands outstretched for Dean as she fell, but her grip was aimed for another.

Her hands gripped the wings of Lucifer - each pure, white feather a masterpiece of no price - and she pulled as she fell. Her nails dug into the base of his wings, she felt his bones snap in her grasp. She fell, and she fell hard, her grip only tightening as she pulled down with gravity. Lucifer's cry matched her as she sunk to her knees, but she continued to pull.

She felt the base of his wings ripped from his flesh, tearing from his back, lumps of flesh attached to the disembodied wings. As she pulled with the last of her strength, the final strand of Lucifer's wings fell from his back, leaving a pattern of ash across the ground cemetery, feathers plastered across Kim's face.

Lucifer turned around, his eyes pure with red hatred yet all she saw was Sam seething at her. All the anger he had built up about her throughout all these years. All the failures she had made, all the regret from calling her back at the Roadhouse. She saw it in his eyes as he stared down on her. She was on her knees at the mercy of Lucifer. His eyes flashed red as hers faded back to normal, the light dimming down.

He roared in anger, saliva flew from his mouth as he screamed. His face red with loathing hatred but she felt no fear. He no longer scared her.

He sent his arm straight through her chest. Her blood plastered over the floor and drowned his arm. He lifted her from her knees, blood pouring from her mouth and dripping from her eyes. He looked at her with disgust. "Pathetic," he spat, ripping his arm out from her, letting her fall limply to the floor. She blinked once, each time she opened her eyes a new punch had been sent to Dean. A white light shone from the Impala into Lucifer's eyes.

Kim's scream deafened the thunder that rolled and caused the rain to pour. Lightning caused by her hand struck down all around the world, a simultaneous cyclone circled the Earth. It screamed her name as it cleansed the planet. Rain flooded the streets and took the lives of the unfortunate. Lightning set houses alight and crops burst into flames. Thunder circled the world to make sure everyone knew her pain. It screamed for her.

As she fell to the ground, the hole through her chest seeping blood onto the Earth that swallowed her essence. Indescribable pain soared through her every muscle, but a small pain lifted from her as she saw the light blind Lucifer and his eyes change slightly; her sacrifice had not gone to waste.

Sam released his fist as he stared down at the broken Dean that held onto his jacket hopefully. Sam let go of Dean and looked at his bloody hands before turning to see Kim panting softly against the Earth with a hole through her chest. He saw her pain and he felt what he had caused her, but her single nod spoke wonders of her forgiveness at the apology she deserved but the world had no time to give.

"It's okay, Dean," Sam breathed as he looked back at his older brother, a single tear in his eye that he let fall. "It's gonna be okay. I've got him." Sam took out the Horsemen's rings and through them to the ground before chanting the spell to open the gates. The ground starts to crack and the hole to Hell opened, sucking in air and gushing wind as it did. Sam stared down the pit before breathing heavily.

"Sam! It's not gonna end this way! Step back!" Michael yelled as he stepped toward Sam. Sam looked over his shoulder and saw Adam standing there, but he knew it wasn't him.

"You're gonna have to make me!" Sam hissed.

"I have to fight my brother, Sam! Here and now! It's my destiny!" Michael yelled at Sam, but Sam sent a look to Dean in response to his words, as if saying a final goodbye. Michael lunged for Sam, but as they fought, Sam grabbed his arms and leapt into Hell, bringing Michael with him. The pit closed and the four Horsemen rings burnt on the grass where the entrance to Hell once was.

Kim's arms shook as she perched herself up from her laying position. She looked down and saw the hole in her chest and the pool of blood it created beneath her. Her fingers danced in the warm liquid as they quaked to keep her off the ground.

Each breath was painful to take but she was surprised she could take any at all. She had never had such a server physical injury, she didn't know if she could heal it. Her blood-soaked hand reached up and pressed to her chest. Her eyes shut as she took a deep breath. Her eyes opened as the crack of thunder and saw Dean stumble as he fell, struggling to make his way towards her.

A warmth radiated through her as she felt the rain wash the blood off of her hand and chest. The water cleansed her form, draining the blood from her hair and into the Earth. The warmth got hotter as she placed more pressure on her chest, her eyes had never left Dean's as he stumbled towards her, his face swollen and beaten. He crawled through the blood and mud to reach her, and when he had, he wrapped himself around her and pulled her close. He watched the hole in her chest close slowly and the blood stopped pouring from the wound.

Kim looked into Dean's eyes, their face only inches apart, both relieved that they were both still breathing. Kim's hand reached for Dean's face as she removed it from her chest and placed it on his cheek, cupping his face. Dean felt the warmth and Kim saw his face again, untarnished and natural.

The rain had stopped as had the thunder and lighting for she was no longer in pain, and everything was going to be okay. Kim smiled at Dean, his skin cleansed of all impurities as hers stayed stained with dirt and blood.

He pulled her in with passion and kissed her like it was his last. His hand wrapped around her and pulled her closer and they laid in the bloodied and muddy floor beneath them. He was warm, their kiss was perfect as Kim's hand wrapped around his neck; like everything good, it had to come to an end.

"Cas, you're alive?" Dean asked as he watched the angel appear from behind Kim. He looked fresh, new, like he had never been touched before. He walked over to them, glad to see that they were alright.

"I'm better than that," he stated, helping the two of them to their feet. Kim wavered as she stood, but the strength of Dean by her side and his arm wrapped around her made her stable, and she finally had a view of her creation.

The cemetery was destroyed, no gravestones remained. Trees that reached the sky were broken on the floor, the green torn from their leaves and buried in dirt. The world had been ripped from all its colour, the land was a bleak shade of grey and red and it was all her doing.

Where the grand gates of the cemetery once were, now melted and broken, stood a figure of black and white. Her eyes reach it, its figure cloaked in a mist of dirt and dew, but she saw the souls it had collected, and he was here to receive his end of the deal.

•※•

 _Kim sat at the table, Death staring her in the eye. His face was dull and lingered with disgust. The tablecloth was greasy and stained as they sat in the dimly lit restaurant, the only light that lit the room was the orange, shaded light that hung on the wall, as well as the sunlight that seeped through the bottom of the curtains. Kim sat alone across from Death, his blank glare staring into her after Dean's departure._

 _"Yes?" Death asked, not bothering to lift his head to notice her as he ate his pizza. Kim felt her heart tense and every beat sounded in her ears. She took a deep breath to_ stabilise _herself._

 _"I need your help," Kim asked lowly. She hated asking for help, but the weight of the world had buckled her knees. This was her job to finish, no matter her lack of ability to control her power, it would always be her job. She was going to be the one to finish this, no matter what extent she had to take._

 _"I am aware," he stared, not looking up. Kim swallowed a lump in her throat as she sighed a growl and licked her teeth in annoyance._

 _"Will you?" Kim asked, a tone of annoyance in her voice. She knew it was probably the wrong tone to use with a creature as powerful as Death, but his superior attitude towards her infuriated her._

 _"Depends," Death replied causing Kim to roll her eyes. His one-word sentence to avoid interaction aggravated her, but she took a breath._

 _"Depends? Depends on what?" she hissed. He finally looked up, his hollow cheeks and lifeless eyes staring at her stern expression. She could see that he was in power, for he had something she wanted and it's as easy for him to let her have it as it is to take it away._

 _"Depends on if you agree," Death replied._

 _"Agree to what?" Kim hissed. Death leaned forward as his fingers knotted together and clasped his hand and rested them on the table. Death looked at Kim, his eyes trailed down to her pin._

 _"My deal," he announced. Kim let out a breath she was holding, her lips falling into a scowl. Her hand lifted to her jacket collar as her fingers draped over her angel pin. Her finger glided over the wings of the angel before falling upon the red diamond that was its body. She spun it in her finger, her heart dropping, remembering her last memory of her father._

 _Kim licked her teeth as Death seethed at her. "What do you want?" Death's lips curled slightly._

 _"What do you want?" Death continued, ignoring her question and proceeding with his own. Kim sighed as she thought about Sam, the young brother who put the weight of the world on his shoulders._

 _"When the time comes, I need you to make sure Sam can take control over Lucifer," Kim said sternly, her eyebrows hooded and eyes dark. Death nodded._

 _"A light to outweigh the darkness," Death reiterated as Kim scrunched her eyes in confusion._

 _"What? No, just make sure Sam takes control," she continued and Death nodded. It was a simple action, but it confirmed her end. He would hold up his end of the deal, all she had to do was hold up hers._

 _"Good," she breathed, "what do you want from me?" she asked quickly as she held her pin. "You know I have nothing," she spat. Death nodded singly, his hollow eyes staring into her soul and saw what he wanted._

 _"It's not what I want, it's what the world needs," Death explained. "It just happens to be what I desire, also._

 _"After Sam jumps into Hell and your job is complete, I will take God's grace," he said casually, cutting another piece of pizza and eating it. Kim looked at him as he chewed, she knew there was more to what he was saying, for it was impossible for anyone to take God's grace from her soul; they were one. "And crush it."_

 _A lingering silence filled the air and it became apparent that Death's words had not been fully comprehended by Kim. Death sat in the silence, mindfully cutting another slice of pizza when he looked up at her lost eyes and sighed. She obviously didn't understand how horrid he found her and he was eager to explain._

 _"You're a filthy creature that diverts my natural order. A human's life has been tampered with just by being in your presence. It is simple, really. You will cease to remain and no abomination as horrid as you will ever walk the Earth again._

 _"You will simply have never existed, even the footsteps you left behind will vanish, as it was meant to be."_

 _Death stared at her for a moment before extending his arm out for her to shake. "Deal?" She looked at his frail, bony fingers that reached for her. She was so close to seeing her family, only steps away from meeting them again. To see her sister and her mother, Jo, Ellen and Ash and live with them as she was meant to._

 _But she had a job to do._

 _She let out a breath, the bony fingers that reached for her grip, more enticing each time she looked at them. Everything she had been through. Every monster hunted, every loved one lost, every torture session, she endured for nothing..._

 _"Deal."_

 _Her hand reached out and shook Death's hand. His cold finger enclosed her's in as they sealed the deal, an emptiness in Kim's heart proceeded to grow._

 _She felt a weight lift from her jacket, a weight that was heavier than it should have been and she looked down. She watched as her pin, the one she worked so hard to protect, broke. The angel's golden wings snapped from their base and fell to the floor, the body of the pin following soon after. A pool of blood puddled around it once it lay dimly on the ground. The body of the angel had turned back to its original pearl_ colour _, the blood staining the now worthless gem. She had broken her promise, and she will never see her family again._

 _Kim swallowed her fear and anguish as she stared at the broken promise that laid at her feet. She exhaled all of her sorrow in one shaky breath and looked up at Death._

 _"You are simply a stain on this planet that needs to be removed."_

•※•

Her heaven would have been beautiful. Filled with everything she ever deserved. Where she would meet her family once again and spend the rest of her days resting in the presence of her mother and sister, where pancakes were in no short supply. It would be warm and soft, she would no longer have to worry about everything around her. All of her pain forgotten in the sight of her loved ones as if it was never there at all. And when the day came, she would find Dean standing in her doorway, a small smile on his lips and it would be as if she had never left him; not even for a second.

But that day would never come.

Kim's knees collapsed under her, the sudden movement was too rapid for Dean's reaction and he watched her fall. She met the ground once again, her weak body clawing at Dean as he moved to hold her in his grasp.

"Kim!" Dean called as he collected her in his arms. "What... what's happening?" he rushed, his eyes pleased for her as she looked at him. Kim smiled up at him, she could feel herself getting weaker.

"It's okay, Dean," she lied, an apologetic smile on her lips. Tears welled in his eyes, he could see her dying. The colour in her eyes were dimming and the roses in her cheeks were wilting.

Her smile said it all. It always had, and the apology he received through the curve of her lips showed him his worst nightmare.

"No!" he screamed. "Don't you dare, Kim. I'm serious," he cried. Kim smiled up at Dean. He had never seen Kim smile so genuinely as she looked at him, a smile he would never forget, a smile he would refuse to let dwindle.

"I'm sorry." She begged for his forgiveness, but he shook his head in refusal.

"Don't leave me," he begged and he wiped hair and blood away from her beautiful face.

"I would never," she replied, blood spilling from the corner of her lips. Dean nodded, chocking on his words as he gazed upon her dying body. He could feel her becoming weaker. She could feel her soul in Death's palm.

"I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?" Kim asked, stammering on her words with a soft laugh, clawing at some small hope that they would meet again one day. But the truth hid behind her words and a sad glimmer of hope shone in Dean's eyes as he believed her words, too hurt in the moment to see her pin missing from her jacket.

"Tomorrow." Dean nodded softly to Kim, confirming their meeting, and he truly believed it. His eyes tangled in hers as they enjoyed their last moments together, just the touch of each other made the world of difference.

She felt no pain, not with Dean beside her anyway. And as her soul was ripped from her body, her last breath left with it. The rising of her chest stopped and the warmth in her hands depleted and the world stayed its shade of grey and red for the rest of Dean's life.

She laid limp in his arms, he refused to let her go. The most powerful creature in the world was no more; immortality was an illusion. Everything ended, the most loved in the most tragic ways.

Death looked at the tainted soul that he held in his palm, its divine glow warming his cold hand as the sweet call of Gabriel's horn called upon the finite. His long lanky fingers curled around the soul and crushed it. It seeped through his fingers and he watched it wither to nothing, and Dean was forced to leave Kim amongst the filth she compelled the world to become.

The entire world faded into silence after her death. A stillness dwelled cohesively. The clouds covered the sky and the sun vanished behind the mists, an unsettling chill devoured the globe. Cleansing rain fell from the heavens she would never reach and purged the world of her sin. Here's to the girl who lost it all for a world that never wanted her.

Maybe if God's grace was in the correct vessel, things would have turned out differently.

 _Don't you cry no more._


End file.
